My Angel
by dream7me7to7sleep
Summary: Sookie discovers that someone's been watching out for her for years, and comes to find that her Guardian Angel is actually a devil in disguise! After learning the truth about his obsession with her, Sookie struggles to let her heart open to him. Can our favorite Viking win her over?
1. Prologue

My Angel

_A/N: Hello, readers! For everyone who has followed me through __Keep Me__ and __Trouble Maker__, you've heard this before: a fair warning before you begin reading- I do write mature material, although this chapter is clean, I prefer to let everyone know ahead of time before they get too curious. If this offends you, or you are underage to view such material, please hit "back" on your browser now. And when I say mature, I mean sexually explicit, coarse language, as well as occasionally running head long into aspects of torture, and sometimes emotionally distressing circumstances. But relax. I am all about the happy endings! Also, I have a habit of drawing from both the True Blood and __SVMN__ universes when it comes to characters, personalities, plot points, and even architecture! Therefore, it is always good to be relatively familiar with both mediums, although after a certain point, I use original content rather than spewing out something that was already created. And yes, I literally copied that bit word for word from my previous stories in case my followers noticed!_

_Anyway, all that said: this story is written, proof-read, edited, and re-read again by me. All errors: spelling, grammatical and continuity are mine and mine alone._

**_DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. IT ALL BELONGS TO CHARLAINE HARRIS AND ALAN BALL. I RECEIVE NOTHING FROM DOING THIS EXCEPT THE PLEASURE OF YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS: SO PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!_**

**Prologue:**

Fucking Fairies.

Eric descended gracefully to the ground as he came closer to his unknowing dependent, wondering what mishap she had gotten herself into this time. Never, in his thousand years, had he come in contact with a human, mostly human that is, who had so many little catastrophes. Then again, women in general usually became high strung about the most basic of difficulties. Although, despite how much chaos ensued internally, the vampire had to admit, she did a wonderful job keeping her expression poised. Mostly.

Glancing into the bar window, he spotted the woman. She was waiting tables, as was her normal Friday night these past couple months, and two of the establishment's patrons were hassling her. A couple that seemed to delight in sneering and mocking her every opportunity they had.

The Rattrays certainly needed a good reorganizing of their priorities, and Eric decided tonight would be the night he glamoured them for the better. It would not do for a Sheriff to dispatch a pair of humans so unnecessarily, and though he detested using his mental persuasions for such trite reasons, he had no real alternatives. Their presence in front of the girl had caused her greater distress with every encounter, and he was becoming exasperated with the constant "false alarms" they forced him to check out.

As the vampire loitered outside the bar, waiting for the duo to finally leave and give him his opening, Eric began to think about what had put the blonde barmaid in his charge.

A debt, one almost as old as himself and finally called in for collection just a year ago, was what put the little woman under his supervision. Niall Brigant, former King of what was once Elfyria, was the one to whom he was indebted.

_~"I knew, one day..." Niall had arrived in Eric's presence, weak and wounded, "You would become a great asset to me..." He coughed up a palm full of his intoxicating blood, his magic unable to mask its delicacy once it was out of his body, "I never dream... dreamed that... that it would be under these... cir-circumstances."_

"_What do you want, King?" Eric spat out through clenched teeth as he admirably resisted the call of the other man's delicious blood._

"_My last... Last act as... As a living creature." Niall hacked a bit more, "I am here... To collect your dues."_

_The Sheriff sneered, crossing his arms over his chest, "My blood cannot do a thing to heal your wounds now."_

"_No..." Niall shook his head jerkily as his body trembled, beginning to shut down, "It is not for __**me**__, but for... For the last... The last of my blood."_

"_You do not have much time left." Eric was shaking with the exertion of remaining still. Of not attacking, "Not that I would mind getting off Scott free, but I am honor bound. Now, speak your wish, and be done."_

"_My great granddaughter... She is the last of us... The last of the Sky clan. A hybrid that lives amongst the humans." The Fairy King coughed out, "Her name is Sookie Stackhouse, and she lives in Bon Temps. You know of it?"_

"_Yes, just twenty miles South of here." Eric nodded._

"_You must... Must protect her until the end of her days. If she dies... Dies by any means other than natural... You will share her... Share her fate." He flicked his bloodied hands with a weak gesture, but it was enough to speckle Eric's skin in tiny red dots, "If you... If you turn her against... Against her will... You will burn in the ground beside... Beside her."_

"_Did you just curse me, you Fairy cunt!?" Eric snarled, losing his demeanor at the realization._

"_Not... Not cursed... Bound. I bound you to her life..." Niall's breath was coming in harsh pants. His expiration eminent, "Keep her safe... And as a reward..." His fists clenched tightly as death knocked upon his door, "As reward..." The breath would not come. No more words could tumble from his lips. Niall Brigant, King of what had been Elfyria, was dead.~_

Shortly after the demand had been made, that very night, in fact, Eric had gone to Bon Temps and tracked down the woman he had been charged with protecting. He had watched her from a great distance, not even considering approaching her just yet.

The first time he _did_ try and come near her, the girl had frozen in place and spun around, looking about her as if she could _feel_ his eyes on her. She knew she was being watched, and it unnerved him. Eric had prided himself at stalking his prey without its knowledge for centuries, and he could not get within fifty feet of the woman without causing her to whirl around searching the darkness for him.

This had boggled the Viking, and he had even summoned Pam down to Louisiana to try her hand at approaching his secret dependent. The vampiress had just as little luck, and she returned to her Maker with a confused and annoyed expression.

_~"Somehow. I don't know how. She knew I was near. I could see her looking for me." Pam told him._

"_I had a few similar encounters. I thought perhaps since she is part Fairy, she might have felt the fae magic that old Fairy put on me." Eric was equally displeased. "I will have to use other means of keeping tabs on her." He looked contemplatively at his hands, wondering about the best way of slipping her his blood. He did not need a mutual blood exchange to feel her, merely his blood in her system._

"_All of this over a stupid accident." Pam snarled._

"_Brogey was Niall's son." Eric shrugged, "Even though I was a fledgling and did not have the control to resist, Niall could have taken my head in retribution. I took the life of one of his kin, and now, nearly a thousand years later, he is forcing me to protect the life of his last remaining blood... The repayment is... Reasonable."_

Eric had finally found a way to get his blood into Miss Stackhouse's system without her being the wiser. Using the woman's grandmother, he had glamoured the old bitty into slipping a drop of his blood into Sookie's morning coffee. That night, he had awoken to a new presence in his mind. He had been surprised at how strong the initial connection was. She felt everything so strongly. A lot of the time, he felt a bit overwhelmed by how powerful her emotions were. It had been so long since he had felt such lack of restraint. Pam had been such an appeasable Child, and her stagnant emotions had been present even before he had changed her. Miss Stackhouse, however...

On more than one evening, Eric had felt himself drawn to her home, lingering on the outskirts of the treeline, tasting the air from her open window as she pleasured herself. Oh, but how insatiable she was on the nights she could not resist! Though her noises had been muffled, in respect to her sleeping grandmother, they were still audible to his vampiric ears.

She did such a persistent job of subduing her sexuality, that it both baffled and intrigued Eric at first. A few months of feeling her through the blood connection had him trying to find out more about Sookie Stackhouse than was absolutely necessary to perform his job. Maybe it was even a bad idea to become so close, but she drew him in like a moth to a candle. Her smell, aroused or not, made his fangs throb. Her emotions called to him, making him want to make everything so much better for her, to always feel her happy. When he risked a chance to see her, the Viking had to wonder if he was gazing upon some ethereal creature, too beautiful and precious to actually exist.

Then, there were the unprovoked responses she seemed to experience. Eric even felt her become strangely nervous around her boss, the Shifter Merlotte, on several occasions without any rhyme or reason to the origin. Though the Shifter had not kept his interest in his employee much of a secret, there was no cause for Sookie to become suddenly shy and uneasy at the times that she did. In fact, she seemed to respond that way more when there was _no_ physical evidence rather than when there was!

Then, five months into keeping his tabs on her, after she first began working at the newly opened Merlotte's, he finally began to piece the puzzle together. On more than a few cases, Sookie had replied to a question that was not asked, or handed someone something they needed before they could submit the request. Drinks were refilled without question, food orders were placed without being ordered. Of course those last two pieces of evidence could be chalked up to her being good at her job, but considering the number of times she seemed to pause in the middle of a room and become lost in her head, Eric doubted that it was the case.

Sookie Stackhouse had a gift, and Eric was pretty sure what that gift was!

Damn Niall for not telling him! The old, dead fairy was probably laughing his ass off in hell at Eric while he floundered around those first few months of surveillance!

Eric was pulled abruptly from his reverie as he saw the couple he was stalking get up from their booth. He could easily see that the amount Mack left was just barely enough to cover their orders, and he continued to watch just long enough to see Sookie pick up the money and feel her despair and annoyance as she went to put it all into the cash drawer. They had run Sookie ragged with their demands and unveiled insults, and Eric decided it was for the last time.

Stumbling out of the bar, Mack and Denise Rattray stopped abruptly, gaping at the tall, broad, blond Viking in front of them. Their gazes were caught instantly, and Eric took little time fixing their minds so that they would never sit in Sookie's section again, nor speak to her without being spoken to first. As an afterthought, Eric focused back on Mack, forcing him to go back inside and leave a considerable tip.

With a drunken stagger, Mack whirled around back into the bar, and Eric listened to him slur, "Sorry, Sooks, forgot your tip..." There was a distinct sound of money rustling, as well as Sookie's surprised gasp, followed by an emotion of elated confusion.

Mack returned to where Denise and Eric remained standing on the gravel parking area, and the pair teetered their way back to his truck. As Eric turned to finally leave, he heard the bar door open and slam back shut.

"Who are you?" Sookie's voice was behind him, and Eric swore under his breath, too low for her to hear.

"It does not matter." Eric answered, continuing his stride, grateful that she had not seen his face. Unfortunately a six foot five inch blond man would not go unnoticed in such a small town.

"It matters to me!" Sookie called after him, and he heard her footsteps as she ran down the three steps to the gravel.

"Go back to work." Eric snarled.

"I won't!" Sookie shouted, and Eric had to repress a growl as she grabbed his hand to spin him around, "Oh!" She gasped at the chill of his hand, or so he thought at first.

"Let go." Eric jerked his hand.

"I... I can't hear you." Sookie whispered.

"I said-"

"No!" Sookie reached up and he felt her warm fingertips graze his face, "I mean, I can't _hear you_!" Her eyes were round and amazed, he could feel a burst of hope in her which confused him. Sookie just continued to stare in wonderment for a moment longer, and then, suddenly, her head tilted and her eyebrows drew together in contemplation, "Y'know, you kinda _glow_." She announced.

Tilting his face from her touch, Eric took a step away from her, "Yes. I know." And he began to walk away.

"My name's Sookie!" She called after him, but he did not respond, "Come into the bar next time you're around!" She yelled as he grew further and further away.

Once Eric was out of sight, he took off into the sky to clear his head. Being sighted had definitely not been part of his plan this evening. He had hoped to remain on the perimeters of her existence for as long as possible. Instead, he had been thrust into the spotlight of her life in just over a year. He could blame it on several things, poor timing, an abnormality in her usual schedule, but the truth was, Eric suspected that he wanted her to catch him. Part of him wanted to be able to see her up close for a change. She looked beautiful from a distance, and as Pam had pointed out, Eric had become more than a little obsessive over her moods. He calculated what every fluctuation could possibly mean, and he pondered over who was the cause of the response.

Flying over Louisiana, Eric turned his back to the ground to stare at the stars as he glided about the air. The new question was how to go about handling it. Two things had been confirmed at last. One- Sookie Stackhouse was a telepath, and two- she could apparently not hear him. The second was a Godsend. Still, she had been able to sense his presence all those months ago. He had to wonder what that meant.

Now, the hard part of the new equation. He did not want to stay away from her. He was certain that he would have to get near her at some point in the remaining years of her life. Of course, there was no way to find out how long he could remain in the shadows of her life, but he would attempt to prolong it. When, at last, he would be forced to speak with her, Eric would be unable to lie to her. He already knew this. If he was obligated to protect her, he could not risk being caught up in a lie. She would never trust him if he lied to her, that much he had come to realize through her interactions with others. And in the vampire world, there would be far too many willing to ensnare him in his own webs of deceit to obtain the girl. Weres, Shifters, Demons, and even Witches would try and obtain her for her gift if she were ever found out.

Perhaps this was why Niall had secured Eric as her guardian. After all, the only reason Niall could use such powerful magic on him was because he was indebted by committing a blood offense. Niall could not possibly have secured such protection for his great granddaughter by any other means, especially after his death.

It was at last decided. Eric would have to keep as far from Sookie for as long as possible. He had already become a blip on her radar, and the fact was, he would not be able to dodge her as easily from this point on. Another thing he had learned about Sookie Stackhouse in the last year was that she was persistent in all of her endeavors. If she wanted to find him. She would.

**TBC**

**A/N: So what do you all think? This story will not be updated very frequently, more or less just something to do in-between the frustrating situations with ****Trouble Maker****! I hope you liked it, and can not wait to hear what you have to say in your reviews! Have a great weekend! **

**-Andi**


	2. Chapter 1

Trouble Maker

_A/N: Hello, my wonderful readers! Since the prologue was so short, I felt compelled to get chapter one out now. I know I said this story would not be updated very regularly, but the first submission just seemed a bit too much of a tease. So, here we go! I hope you enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter One:**

It was any other night at Merlotte's. Sookie was waitressing, trying her absolute hardest to resist the urge to plug up her ears and hum as loud as she possibly could. Only, that never helped. She did not hear minds with her ears, they were a reverberation in her skull, and no amount of external noise would mask them

"Oh, goody." Dawn grunted, "Look what the garbage truck just dropped off."

Sookie whirled around in time to see Mack and Denise Rattray enter the bar. She payed them little attention and went instead to the kitchen window where Lafayette had just rung the bell for one of her orders. The Rattrays had not sat in her section for nearly four years. Not since the night she had seen the beautiful giant. She thought of him as her angel since that night. Her guardian angel that kept her safe from the things that hurt her, even the unpleasantness of dealing with Mack or Denise.

When Gran's cat Tina had gone missing, and Sookie had bawled herself to sleep for two nights straight, she awoke the morning of the third day to find the cat in a small carrier on the front porch. A few months after that she had been in a car accident that had totaled her little orange nova. The damage to her had been far, far worse. Or so she had thought.

Eyes blurry, head pounding, Sookie had remained sitting on the side of the road in the steaming vehicle, every inch of her body hurting, the vague recollection of looking down at her pinned legs and seeing the prominent white of her bone sticking out of her leg. She had passed out at the sight of the fracture, and awoken later, lying in the grass alongside the road. Her leg was healed, and she felt absolutely spectacular! All of her aches and pains were gone, and she had never felt healthier! The next morning, a new car was delivered to her house, paid in full with a full tank of gas. The men who delivered it did not know a name, even when Sookie scanned their brains, they were blank of any knowledge of who had sent them.

"Looks like your lucky streak finally ended." Dawn's voice broke Sookie from her reverie.

"What?" Sookie shook her head to dispel the last of her nostalgia. Dawn just jerked her thumb towards Sookie's section, and the blonde saw Mack and Denise sitting in her section. "Are you _kidding me_!?" Sookie groaned, grabbing the food order she had to hand out and then making her way to the Rattrays, "What can I get y'all to start?"

Oh, but the Rats were just as unpleasant as ever, perhaps even more so than they had been the last time they had sat in her section. Sookie ended up leaving the table with her emergency smile slapped into place. As she went to the bar to get them their beers, the bar door opened again, and a familiar "blank" mind entered the room

Sookie's breath stopped short as she spun around, hoping beyond hope that her angel had _finally_ stepped within her sight once more.

Instead, what met her eyes was a much shorter, dark haired man. His expression was solemn, almost pained as he sat down in Sookie's section as well. Before her brain could process what her lips were saying, an epiphany was spoken, "Looks like Merlotte's just got its first vampire."

"I reckon you're right." Sam grumbled off to her side, in a rather personal sort of anger, and not one of bigotry.

"That's a vampire." Sookie whispered to herself, realizing that her "angel" was not an angel at all. These past five years... Her protector had been a _vampire_. And now there was a vampire in the bar, sitting right there, ready to be talked to by her. Could this stranger know who her angel was!? "I'm gonna go take his order!" She announced, her ulterior motives already designated. "Hi!" Sookie gave her best bubbly voice, "What can I get ya?"

"Do you have any synthetic blood?" The stranger asked, almost cautiously.

"No, sorry, they went bad... Do you drink anything... else?" She asked carefully.

"No, but you can bring me a red wine so I have a reason to stick around." He seemed to relax considerably at her easy cadence after he revealed his dark nature.

"Okay, be right back with that!" She announced, spinning on her heel. Sookie decided, she would bring him his drink, and then find out if he knew of a giant, blond vampire with the most haunting blue eyes ever seen on this earth. Only, she got held up at the bar as Tara snarled and hissed about her stupidity at speaking to a vampire. Once she shook off her best friend, her boss went in for a round, too. Eventually, the girl slipped past him as well and found herself back at the vampire's table, "I'm Sookie, by the way."

"Bill Compton." He introduced himself as well. Bill was feeling extremely nervous now. Ever since he had stepped within a few yards of this town he had smelled Eric Northman all over the place. And now that his objective was standing before him, he could smell the Viking in her blood. This was no good. This was _pointless!_ "How is Eric doing?"

Sookie tilted her head in confusion, "Eric?" She asked.

"Eric Northman?" Bill pressed. Did the girl only know him by his last name? But even that did not spark any realization in her eyes, "The _Sheriff?"_ He tried once more.

"Sheriff Dearborn?" She tried correcting him.

Straightening up, Bill stared into the blonde's eyes, "You do not know Eric? You recognized me so easily as vampire, and the whole town smells of Eric, but you do not know him?"

Sookie's shoulders straightened, her eyes widening with realization. In a low whisper she asked, "Is he extremely tall with long blond hair and bright blue eyes?"

_So_, Bill thought in exasperation, _she does know him_. He wondered what pseudonym the Viking had given her. Strangely though, her blood smelled of Eric, but her body did not. Why would Eric give her his blood, but not have sex with her? That was so unlike the vampire Sheriff!

The vampire's expression was confirmation enough for Sookie, "So, his name's Eric." She sighed, finally having a name to go with her angel's face, "Do you know where he is?"

"Don't you?" Bill asked.

"No. He never told me. Eric finds me, not the other way around." She admitted. "Can you tell me where I can find him?"

Bill sat for a moment, weighing the options. Sookie already had Eric's blood. He had a claim on her that a vampire as young as he could not challenge, and if he did, Eric would accept the challenge before Bill could obtain reinforcement from Sophie-Anne. No, it would be best to abort his mission tonight and call New Orleans for further instructions. If the Viking was already in the way, a new plan would need to be hatched, and very carefully.

"Thank you for the wine." Bill rose from his seat and threw down a ten dollar bill, and without looking back, he left the bar. That night, he spent listening to the shrill, impatient demands of his Queen.

"Way to get the trash out quick, Sooks." Tara cheered as the blonde came back to the bar.

"That was bizarre." Sookie was frowning as she refilled another pitcher of beer to take to the Rattrays.

"What was?" Sam asked, having been too busy glowering at the vampire to pay attention to the conversation, and now looking at his employee with confusion. He did not need a vampire outing him as a Shifter any time soon.

"Sam... You always seem to know about weird stuff." Sookie said slowly, "Have you ever heard of a vampire Sheriff?" The tensing of the bar owner's muscles was all the "yes" Sookie needed, "Ever heard of one called Eric Northman?"

"Sookie, if you go anywhere near that vamp bar-"

"Vamp bar?" Dawn was grinning as she came to get another pitcher of Bud, "Y'all talkin' 'bout Fangtasia?" She asked.

"Yes." Sam growled.

"What for?" Dawn asked as she let the foam settle before filling it the rest of the way.

"Apparently there's a vamp there Sookie wants to meet." Sam crossed his arms over his chest with a disapproving grunt.

"Who?" Dawn asked.

"It doesn't matter." Sookie shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to find out that one of her coworkers knew her angel. She did not want another person's opinion of him in her head before she officially met him. Sam Merlotte and Bill Compton's unsavory expressions when her angel was mentioned was all the negative reaction she could handle for the evening.

It was almost eleven when Sookie's shift was ending, and she decided that it would not be too late to go to a vampire bar. It was less than a half an hour drive, and if she showered and dressed quickly enough, she could make it there by midnight. Midnight had to be _prime_ vampire hours, she reasoned.

"Night, Sooks!" Sam called after her as her big work bag flung over her shoulder and she nearly ran down the hallway to the employee parking area.

With barely a word to her grandmother, Sookie hopped in the shower and dressed in a beautiful red and white sundress. She wanted to look pretty this time when she encountered her guardian angel. Doing some light, natural make-up, Sookie grabbed her smaller "out for the evening" purse and ran back downstairs.

"Heavens, Child, whatever are you doing?" Adele cried as Sookie ran for the door.

"I don't have much time to explain." Sookie's face was flushed with excitement and anticipation, "But you remember my car accident a few years ago, and then I got the mystery car?"

"Of course." Adele shivered, "I still can't believe you walked away from that wreck without a scratch!"

"I don't think it was a miracle... Or not the usual kind." Sookie was glowing and her heart was racing, "I found out who my guardian angel was. I'm going to meet him tonight!"

"Sookie?" Adele rose from the kitchen table where she had been reading her most recent mystery novel, waiting up for her granddaughter, "What on earth are you talking about, Sweetheart?"

"I need to go meet him. I promise to tell you everything in the morning." Sookie assured her, "Don't wait up. I might be gone until close to dawn."

"You have your cell phone?" Adele checked.

"Yes. I'll charge it up some on the drive." Sookie promised.

"I want you to call me when you get where you're goin'. Where _are_ you going?" The grandmother asked.

"To Shreveport. There's a bar there. I guess he is there. That's what I've heard, at least." Sookie explained, "Now, I have to go!"

Before her grandmother could stop her, Sookie was out the door and in her car, pausing before turning the ignition long enough to plug her phone into the car adaptor. Next, the car was on, and she was pulling off of Hummingbird Lane.

The drive to Shreveport was an exciting one, and Sookie could feel her pulse racing the entire way. She had never felt this way in her entire life. Never felt the grand anticipation of meeting someone new.

As the telepath took the exit into Shreveport, she realized that she had no idea where Fangtasia was. She refused to stop for directions and endure the disapproving glares, or worse, the slimy thoughts directed at her for wanting to go to a vampire bar. The word "Fangbanger" would be in no short supply if she did.

Luckily, Fangtasia's road sign was clearly visible, and thankfully on a main road in Shreveport. It only took fifteen minutes of wandering before she spotted it and pulled into the parking lot. As she stopped her car in an available space, Sookie realized, staring at the queue of people outside its doors, that she was not dressed for this sort of scene. Spandex, latex, and leather were not in any small reserve in that line, and neither was the color black. No matter though, a little fashion faux pas would not keep the woman from officially meeting her usually invisible protector!

After a quick call to her Gran, Sookie got out of her car. She saw the blonde woman at the door staring at her with complete confusion and alarm as she locked up her vehicle. Furrowing her eyebrows, Sookie made her way to the line until the front door opened with a grand flourish and the squeals of several women made her watch in even more confusion, and then _elation_.

It was her angel.

Eric Northman.

And he was even more beautiful than she remembered those four years ago...

Eric sat on his throne in Fangtasia becoming increasingly confused. Sookie's emotions were all over the place since nine that evening. At around eleven she became absolutely frantic with anticipation, and then around eleven thirty, he felt her excitement growing. And it was growing _closer_.

He wondered why she would start feeling so near. In his five years keeping tabs on her, he had never felt Sookie enter Shreveport at night. Not once! Now, it seemed like she was headed his way, and she was on a mission!

Cursing the fact that it was one of the extremely rare times he could not follow her home from work, Eric could only sit in curiosity.

A little after midnight, he felt her arrive right outside his club, and shortly after that, he felt Pam become nervous and confused. Apparently Sookie had decided to take a walk on the wild side. There would be no avoiding her in Fangtasia, and the last thing he could risk was her approaching him and breaking every protocol in place at the bar. If she did, he would _never_ keep the wretched women off of his dais again.

Stalking through the bar and to the entrance, Eric flung the door open and searched the parking lot for his ward. She was staring at him, halfway to the end of the line to enter the bar, and her mouth was hanging open like she had seen a long lost lover. It was in that moment that Eric realized what years of his blood and her own imagination had catalogued him as. She was infatuated with him on a level she was not prepared to be. Sookie did not know him well enough to have that deep of a feeling, and as much as his unbeating heart ached to do it, there was only one way to snap her out of the love-struck daze.

"Eric?" Sookie asked carefully, taking an unsure step towards him.

"Stay right there." Eric snapped, making the girl freeze in alarm. Turning his head to his Child, Eric told her not to let anyone bother them until he said otherwise.

That taken care of, Eric approached the young telepath and gestured for her to follow him, "So you _do_ know me-"

"Quiet." Eric barked, leading her _around_ the club and to the back entrance, closer to his office. When they walked the short hallway and were safely inside, he slammed the door and turned to stare at her, "Why have you come here?"

Recoiling at his apparent dissatisfaction with her presence, Sookie merely gawked at him in stunned silence. It took a beat longer than she meant to pause, but she finally balled up her fists and growled out, "Why have you been _stalking_ me?" She demanded in a harsh tone she only ever used to reprimand Jason. If he was going to be a jerk to her, then she would burry that romanticized theory of him being her guardian angel! No matter how much it shook her to the core...

The vampire sneered at her accusation, though on the inside, he was unnerved at her abrupt change in attitude. Apparently Sookie Stackhouse did not stick with her delusions long, "It is my job to keep you alive. If you die, I die." He crossed his arms over his chest, that aggravatingly stern expression frozen, unmoving upon his cold face. There was no turning back just yet, no legal u-turns, he would have to stay this course until the next available exit.

"What the heck are you talking about." She demanded.

"I was assigned to protect you for the rest of you dull, meaningless life. If you die by any means other than natural, I meet my final death. That is the deal." He growled.

"That's crazy! You're crazy!" Sookie yelled at him, "Who would give a vampire that kind of job? Who would care about me living and have that much power over a vampire?"

Eric's lip curled in annoyance, "Your great grandfather."

"He's dead."

"Yes, I watched him die." Eric nodded.

"That was before I was even born! How would he have known about me? Are you suppose to watch his entire family?" She pressed.

Eric frowned, "You never knew." He realized, "I suppose I already should have realized that."

"Never knew _what_?" Sookie growled. She was getting sick of dragging every small detail out of him. Why was this vampire so incapable of just saying everything that needed to be said all at once?

"Sit." He gestured to the leather sofa inside of his office.

"I'll stand."

"You will sit!" Eric roared and Sookie felt her butt suction to the sofa as if it were vacuumed down.

"Jeez, who knew guardian angels could be such douchebags." Sookie muttered.

"Guardian angel?" Eric actually chuckled at that, albeit, darkly, "More like Guardian Devil."

"I'll agree with that." Sookie grunted. "Now, get on with the story already."

"That mouth of yours... Do you know how many people I have had to glamour into forgetting the things that have come out of that mouth?" Eric asked in exasperation, "The amount of times you have alluded to your gift on accident is ridiculous."

"I'm sure by now half of the population of Bon Temps is on their way to a partial lobotomy." She sneered, "Now tell me the story."

"Five years ago!" Eric practically shouted, "Five years ago is when I started tracking you. I was made to do so by your great grandfather, Niall Brigant. Do not interrupt me." He silenced her as she went to protest the name he had assigned to her family member, "You wanted to hear the story, and you will remain quiet throughout its tale. I know what information you need, and you will get it as it is required. Now shut up."

Sookie clenched her teeth, her lips curling to expose the glossy white pearls, but she huffed and crossed her arms shortly after the threatening sneer.

"Niall Brigant was King of what was once Elfyria. Elfyria, was the realm of the Fae. _Fairies_." He elaborated at Sookie's perplexed expression, "You are the last remaining member of the Elfyrian Royal Family. As such, Niall insisted that I make sure that you lived out a long, healthy existence. He secured me in this role because I owed him a debt. It was a debt earned by a blood offense, and that is the only reason he could magically bind me to this job. Hush." He saw her lips move silently around the word "magic", and stopped her before she could question him, "Yes, there is such a thing as magic. Just like there are vampires and telepaths." Eric hurried past that part, "Elfyria is long since lost. There are no more enemies of the Kingdom because there is no kingdom to speak of. Still, a fairy hybrid with an extraordinary, though troublesome, gift will have no lack of interested parties. Your Great grandfather knew this, and put me in place to deter those interested parties." He paused now, "Are you following me so far?"

"Oh, am I allowed to talk now?" Sookie snapped.

"I will assume that you are following." Eric smirked, "Five years ago, when Niall could no longer protect you, he passed the burden on to me, and I have watched you ever since. I have come to your aid on several occasions, but tried to remain invisible to you." He could see the "why" in her eyes, and decided to ignore it, "However, now that you have found me, I cannot, and will not, remain on the fringes of your existence. It is one thing to be a specter or _guardian devil_, but now you will be watching for me, which means others might begin to notice me, too. They can of course be glamoured, but I would rather not chance missing a witness."

They remained silent for a few moments before Sookie decided she was allowed to speak, "That wasn't a very long story, and I didn't faint, either." She pointed out.

"Good for you." Eric sunk gracefully into his desk chair.

"Can I ask a few questions now?"

"I suppose, but I may choose not to answer them." Eric replied smoothly.

"And why not?"

"The answers might contain information that would not be conducive to you living a long, healthy life." Eric told her.

"You could lie." Sookie pointed out.

"You will be tucked neatly under my arm for the next 70 or 80 years, perhaps longer, Miss Stackhouse, if you have any Fae longevity. One does not go into such a lengthy relationship on the backs of lies. Now that you are aware of me, lying is the worst possible thing I could do, aside from failing to protect you. If you do not trust me, you will only put yourself in more danger, either by accident or out of spite." Eric told her in a stern monotone. "You might not like me, you might hate me, but you will never doubt me."

"Why is that?" Sookie huffed.

"Because my existence is the single most important thing in the world to me. I would not jeopardize it, and I certainly would not let a little girl ruin it either." Eric replied.

Rising from the couch, Sookie walked to stand opposite Eric, only his desk dividing them, "That, Mr. Northman, is a _lie_." His eyebrows rose to his hairline at her accusation, "If that were true, you would have put me in a plastic bubble in a padded room and locked the door behind you. This Niall guy said I only had to stay alive, he never said I had to be _happy_. Yet, you found our cat and brought her home. You got me a new car when you could have just let me struggle trying to buy a piece of crap with my insurance money. And let's not forget the strange checks we've been getting from the company that pays for the rights to the natural gas deposits on our land. They increased by an absurd number with a little notice stating that a new vein had been found. Funny, though, that happened _five years ago_. Don't pretend those checks aren't from you."

Eric's smile was growing wider and wider as she rattled those off, "You are a proud woman." He stated, "And I know that you detest charity being directed toward you. Therefore I tried to help you without being too obvious... Usually. The bit with your car was over the top, but I feared that your next vehicle would be even more deplorable than the last. After all, the car you were driving was the cause of the accident in the first place. I could not risk you repeating the incident, especially if it were to occur during the day." He folded his hands in front of him as he added, "But my existence _is_ the number one priority for me in all of this, and under that circumstance I have not lied."

Sookie could not help the small smirk that wanted to turn into a full blown smile. Instead she shook her head, and turned slightly away from Eric as she said, "Okay, Smarty pants, you win by a technicality." She admitted. "Now, how have you been knowing when I've needed your help?"

"You are not going to like this." He promised.

"I'm sure I won't." She agreed.

"I have been secretly dosing you with small quantities of my blood for the last five years." Sookie's jaw slung open at his confession, "It allows me to feel your emotions as well as know where you are. There are other side effects of course-"

"WHAT OTHER SIDE EFFECTS!?" She demanded. "YOU FREAKIN' LOW JACKED ME!?"

If it were not for the intense distaste she was exuding, he might have found her response comical. Instead, he knew that she was absolutely livid, and it was all because of him, "Yes, I "low jacked" you. And the other side effects would be better vitality and stronger immune system, heightened senses, increased strength and speed, and an increased libido. Although with the quantity I was giving you, the effects would have been imperceptible." Sookie blushed at the libido side-effect, but kept her face stern, "You might have dreamt about me sexually. I am uncertain if I would have appeared as myself before you had seen my face. It is uncommon for humans to ingest blood of unknown vampires." He admitted, "After you had seen my face, though, the dreams would have been about me."

Sookie huffed. That explained a lot, "So everything I've felt about you the last five years has been because of your blood."

"That depends." Eric shrugged, "What have you felt for me?"

"You know what I feel."

"That is not accurate. I know what you are feeling. What causes those feelings are unknown to me. Sometimes I can accurately assess where a particular emotion stems, but I do not have access to your thoughts, and those guesses are left unconfirmed. For instance- I know that you feel self-conscious when you sing, therefore, I can assume that you believe yourself to be a bad singer."

"You think I'm a _good_ singer?" She asked.

"Absolutely not. You are very pitch-ey, particularly sharp, and sing out of your vocal range. If you dropped an octave, you might sound decent." Eric told her. "I much prefer listening to you speak in your normal accent. It is quite charming to listen to."

Sookie scowled, "You're incredible."

"I know."

"And egotistical!"

"This I also know." He was grinning at her, "I also know that when you are around small children your heart flutters and you become euphorically happy. You love children and sometimes fantasize about becoming a mother, but right after the fantasy has ended you become slightly depressed. I can guess that you do not believe you are fated to have children?" Sookie frowned at this and he felt her withdraw, "Is it because of your gift? You believe that a family is beyond what you can expect from life?" Sookie turned her head away from him defiantly, "You might be correct, but you should get over it." Her head snapped back at him to glare, but he shrugged at the daggers she threw via her eyes, "If it is meant to be it will happen. There is no point dwelling; there is no changing it."

"Okay, so you know stuff about me." Sookie turned away from him once again, "Now, tell me about you. I don't have five years of stalking and access to your feelings. So even the score a little, won't ya?"

"I am Eric Northman, vampire Sheriff of Area 5 of the Louisiana Territory. I govern over all vampires residing in that area. I am around a thousand years old," her eyes bugged out at that, "and was a Viking in my human life. My Maker is Godric of Ghal, and my Child is the blonde woman you saw at the door. Her name is Pam. She is around two-hundred years old, and my only Child. Originally I was from Sweden. I speak over a dozen languages-"

"Okay, you're doin' a good job of talking yourself up. Tell me something _real_ about you. What's something you're _bad_ at?" She wanted to even the odds after his comment on her singing.

Eric was thoughtful a long moment, "I am persistent. If there is something I want, or something I want to accomplish, it is difficult to sway me to give up on that endeavor. Even if it costs me greatly."

"What's something you've lost because of your persistence?" Sookie asked.

Eric leaned back in his desk and just stared at Sookie. She realized quickly that he would not answer her, and could not help but wonder why.

"Fine, change of topic." She frowned at his lack of forthcoming, "What's something you're afraid of?"

"It is not a warrior's nature to admit that he is afraid of anything."

"You're afraid of dying." She pointed out.

"I am not afraid to die, I would just prefer to continue existing. After all, I have met humans unafraid of death. Just because they did not commit suicide on the spot, does not mean they were scared, does it?" Eric challenged.

Sookie flopped back on the couch with a resigned sigh, "So, where do we go from here? Neither one of us is getting rid of the other anytime soon. So, what do we do?"

Eric rose from his desk chair and came to sit alongside his charge, "First, I would like to give you some of my blood. You are due for a new dose soon anyway." Sookie recoiled at the suggestion, but reasoned that she would be getting it even if she refused, and she really did not wish to have Eric glamouring anyone else unnecessarily. "I would also like to offer you a job, here, at Fangtasia."

Sookie snorted, "Doing what? Waitressing?"

"Gods no!" Eric laughed at the thought of putting such a useful ability to waste as a barmaid, "I want you to use your telepathy to sift through the minds of this bar's staff and patrons. I wish for you to alert me to illegal activity and police presence. My club gets raided wearily often."

"If you're not doing anything illegal, why are you worried about the police?" Sookie demanded.

"Because they shut me down for several hours with their raids, and it is a loss of profit. They find the most minute discrepancy and fine me for it just as an excuse to badger me and my frequenters. If it continues, I will lose patrons, and suffer greater losses." He explained.

"What would I do?" Sookie asked.

"I already told you."

"No, but... I mean, do I just stand around the bar and come find you when something's wrong?"

"You could dance if you wish. As I recall, you really enjoy dancing. You can drink, though I would ask that it not be in excess, since you _would_ be working. So long as you can perform, I do not care what you do while you are doing that." Eric shrugged. "Your working here would also keep you close to me, and out of trouble." He pointed out.

"I manged to make it 20 years without your assistance, Mister." She snapped.

"And a miracle those 20 years were." Eric rolled his eyes. "Are you agreeable?"

"Not really, but I'll think about it." Sookie grumbled as she stood up. "I should get going. It's gotten pretty late."

"Ah," Eric rose, "but you still need to take my blood." He reminded. With an exasperated groan, Sookie fell back to the couch making Eric smirk, "It will not take long. You do not have to consume much for me to keep track of you."

"Awesome." She replied sarcastically, "So how does this work? Do I bite you or something?"

Eric actually laughed at that, "You may, if you wish, but I was going to open a wound for you."

"You'd let me bite you?" She raised her eyebrows at that.

"It is quite pleasurable, and your teeth are so beautiful." He purred, and Sookie could not believe the response that noise sent thrumming throughout her entire body. It was the strangest dynamic she had witnessed from a single person. From the second she had officially met him, she was annoyed, angered, and frustrated. He was overbearing, frank, and egotistical. Yet, his gears had shifted at some point during the conversation, and she was now witnessing the suave, flirty side that she had envisioned him to be in the past.

"L-let's just get this over with." Sookie managed to say despite the residual tingling along her skin. This vampire guardian of hers was becoming more and more difficult to understand! One of the sides she had seen of him this evening was an act, and she was having a hard time deciding which one it was. The whimsical part of her was hoping that it was the harsh side. That for whatever reason, he thought it was prudent to be short and irritable with her. On the other hand, he was a vampire, and it seemed more likely that he would be uninterested in her. After all, what could a blonde hick like her have to offer, other than her telepathy?

Eric's cocky smirk returned, and Sookie could see his fangs descend as a soft "snick" rented the air. The sight of the pointed teeth sent another thrill down her spine, a rather pleasant one at that. She watched as he brought his hand to his mouth, piercing his index finger on the tip of one fang. With how easily the skin broke, Sookie reasoned that his fangs must have been extremely sharp. Before she could consider _how_ sharp, his finger was in front of her face, a drop of blood blossoming from the tiny incision.

Tentatively, Sookie took his finger into her mouth a gave an unsure suck. The flavor that erupted across her tastebuds was electric and hot. His blood was like a rich syrup that slipped down her throat and warmed her belly. She sucked harder on the wound, trying to draw more, but it was already closing. She moaned with dissatisfaction when she could not obtain more of the nectar before she looked up at his knowing eyes. Sookie wanted to slap that smug grin off of his face, but instead, she saw that his fangs were still down. Without thought or hesitation, her mouth dove for his, tangling her tongue with his until she managed to spear it against one of those deadly incisors. Eric groaned against her mouth as she pulled his tongue passed her lips and sucked on it vivaciously. After several hard draws, Eric disengaged her, pushing firmly against Sookie's shoulders.

"My, my, Ms. Stackhouse. It seems that I am not the only persistent one in this room." He growled, but it was a "come hither" growl, one full of all sorts of dark, carnal promises.

Against her own volition, Sookie's limbs snaked around the large vampire's body, her center coming to press needfully against his lap. Her big, blue eyes widened at the hardness she felt pushing up against her as she did this, and Eric just continued to gaze at her knowingly. Her blue irises were nearly eclipsed in black from the potency of his blood. Sookie had no idea what blood as old as his could do in even small quantities.

"Mmm, sultry Sookie." He leaned in and nipped at her earlobe with blunt teeth, "What a wild girl you would be." His hands rested on her hips, pushing her down a little more firmly, making her _feel_ him. One of his hands snuck its way under the volume of her skirt and the heat radiating in its folds was like a high noon sun, "So _hot_." He groaned, but his hand did not venture any further than just above her knee. She would likely kill him when she was back in her head, and going any further than he had would only cement that outcome.

"Eric, oh!" She gasped, rocking harder against his bulge, "Oh God." She inhaled sharply, her movements becoming hurried and imploring, "Please, oh please." Her hands braced on his shoulders, her fingertips digging into his flesh, "OH!" She keened wildly as she climaxed.

Body going boneless in his lap, Sookie strained for breath as her entire self was wracked with ceaseless trembling. Eric's hands were on her back, running up and down between her shoulders and bottom, easing Sookie back into herself.

"Are you all right?" He asked as the woman's breath evened out. "Sookie?"

As if she had been suddenly electrocuted, Sookie jumped from Eric's lap and stared at him with those wide, confused eyes he had grown to admire from a distance. The blackness had receded once more, and were again their usual bright blue. He heard her choke on what, suspiciously, sounded like a sob before running out of his office and out the employee entrance. Sookie had slid to a halt at her car when she realized that she had left her purse in Eric's office. She could not go back in there!

There were people in the line outside Fangtasia, staring at her. She could hear inside their heads, and what she heard only made her feel a thousand times worse.

_Stupid girl, look what she's wearing..._

_Couldn't handle it in there, huh, Sweetheart..._

_Only a __**real**__ woman can handle a vampire..._

_Aww, did the good Christian girl do something naughty?_

Sookie was ready to abandon her car and walk to the nearest gas station. Anything to get away from the stares and thoughts. Maybe she could call Jason to pick her up...

"Here." Sookie whirled around to see the vampire, Pam, holding her purse out to her. The gesture finally made the floodgates burst, and Sookie could feel the unwanted tears begin to fall. She did an admirable job keeping herself from sobbing, but the tears would not cease, no matter how badly she wished them to. "He told me to tell you that it was the blood. You could not help yourself." That was all that Pam said before turning away to head back to the door.

Sookie remained frozen in her spot for a moment longer before she shook her head and rummaged her keys out of her purse. Once she was in the vehicle, the woman took several calming breaths before turning the vehicle on, and heading home.

It was a half an hour of driving in a very bad state. Sookie would even wonder the next morning how she managed to make it home at all. She did not even remember pulling up next to her house, but she certainly remembered what happened as she climbed out of her car.

Eric stood by the back porch of her little farmhouse, waiting for her, or so it seemed to her at the time.

"Pardon the appearance," Eric began quietly, "but I had to be certain you arrived home safely. You were in no condition to drive, after all."

"Go away." Sookie whispered, fearful that a voice any louder than that would be unable to mask her distress.

"You know I cannot." Eric reminded her, hating that he had been so harsh with her, but knowing that it was a necessary evil. He could be harsh, and she needed to know this. Once she understood, though, it was so difficult not to revert to doting on her, and that only confused Sookie more.

"You didn't have to acknowledge me once I got here." Sookie snapped, "You could have seen I got home and just left, but no. You had to come up to me and make me feel even more miserable than I was!" She hissed venomously.

"That was not my intent." Eric assured her, "But you needed what happened."

"I did _not_!"

"You did. The amount of blood you took demanded it. You would have been in an even worse state to drive had you not succumbed."

"That's a copout." Sookie pushed past him.

"It is a physical fact. Our blood is magical. Many magical rites require an offering in return. If you had been injured, the excess magic would have healed you. Since you were in perfect health, that was the offering you could give." Eric explained.

"How is an orgasm an _offering_?" She reeled around to glare at him.

"If you were to study magic, you would realize that sex is very important aspect of magic. And an orgasm was all that it was. I may have been present during the time, but I offered very little sexual stimulus. You could have rubbed up against anything hard and gotten off. I was just the nearest and most conveniently shaped."

"You're disgusting."

"You pleasure yourself. You are only upset this time because someone witnessed it." Eric chuckled, "But I have smelled it on you. I have _heard_ you before." Sookie lashed out to slap him, and Eric allowed this. Of course, she was holding her hand painfully after doing so, and he did not even blink.

"You pig." She shoved him with her uninjured hand and turned back to the door.

"Sookie," Eric called quietly, making the girl pause, but not look at him, "just... Do not be upset with yourself. If you must be angry, be angry at me."

Sookie remained with her back to him a beat longer, but when she turned around to apologize he was already gone.

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

**-ANDI**


	3. Chapter 2

My Angel

_A.N: Hello, everyone, and welcome to chapter two of __My Angel__. Just so you know, I still have no idea what this story is really about, it is mostly me making an attempt at a "slow build" to the Eric and Sookie relationship. As my readers of __Keep Me__ and __Trouble Maker__ know, I have a tendency to throw my love interests together pretty quickly, or at least make them like each other a lot very fast. So, I am not yet sure if this story will be a superficial "falling in love" story, or if it will turn into a giant beast like __Trouble Maker__ has been (thus proving I chose its title accurately). Anyway, please enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Two: Foolish**

As Sookie awoke the next morning, all she did was stare at her ceiling, contemplating the shadows that were cast across its surface. Last night had been the most confusing night of her life, and as a telepath, that was saying something.

Despite her over all anger with Eric and everything he had secretly done to her over the past five years, there were just too many things that were nagging at her. For instance, Eric showed no squeamishness at upsetting her, but he seemed unwilling to let her be upset with herself. Why would he try and keep her from blaming herself?

There was also the incident with Tina to consider. A lost cat was hardly a life or death situation. And of course, there was what he had said about telling the truth. About long term relationships not being built on lies.

At least, to the best of Eric's knowledge, he had not lied to her. He had, though, lied to her heart. Sookie placed her hand over her chest where she could still feel the ache that had resonated since he had uttered that first, agitated sentence, _~"What are you doing here?"~ _The woman shuddered at the coldness in his voice. The way he had commanded her, the snide way he dismissed her questions.

It was all a sharp and brutal contrast to the guardian angel she had built up in her mind.

Sookie's musings were quieted down as she focused to the sound of her Gran in the kitchen, chittering away on the phone to acquire the most recent, juicy bit of gossip. Gran knew about her "guardian angel", and she was a no-nonsense, southern woman. She would be able to help Sookie set everything to rights!

Clambering out of bed, the woman dressed in her housework clothes and went to join her Gran for breakfast.

"You won't believe it, Sookie!" Gran's face was excited, but also unnerved. Quite the combination. "Maudette Pickens was murdered last night!" She exclaimed as she handed a fixed plate of sausage and eggs. "Can you believe it?"

Sookie gawked for a moment, holding her plate frozen halfway between the table and her face. "Do they know who did it?" She asked.

"Not a clue!" Gran sat across from her, "She was found this morning by her neighbor, Charlotte. She says she was coming over to ask to borrow some sugar, but I bet that she was going to swipe Maudette's newspaper for the coupons. That woman always has so many coupons." Sookie could not help the little, amused smile she gave, despite the horrible news.

"That's awful, Gran. How did it happen?" She asked.

"Maxine doesn't know yet." Gran looked agitated at the lack of specifics.

"Oh..." Sookie played with her eggs before asking, "Gran?"

"Yes, Dear?" Adele looked up from her own breakfast at her granddaughter's hesitant voice.

"Last night..."

"Yes! What happened? Did you meet your _guardian angel_?" Her lips quirked into an amused smile.

"I... Did."

"You don't seem as happy as I thought you would." Gran frowned now. "What happened?"

"He's a vampire." Sookie whispered.

"Is that a problem?" Adele did not approve of bigotry, and absolutely did not approve of her own granddaughter doubting someone just because they were a vampire.

"Not the vampire part." Sookie shook her head, "His attitude is what bothers me... The things he's done." She was still very quiet.

"What things?" Adele asked.

"Well, vampires have this weird thing, where if they give a human their blood, they can track them and feel their emotions. Eric- that's his name, Eric Northman- he's been secretly slipping me his blood for years so he could feel when I was in danger." Sookie explained.

Adele was glowering at this new information, "That is an invasion of your privacy! How has he been sneaking his blood into you!?" She demanded.

"I don't know who he was doing it to, but he was using this other vamp ability called glamouring to hypnotize people into slipping it into my drinks and stuff."

The grandmother was down right furious now, "That is abhorrent! And who does he think he is!? Why would he even do that!?" She demanded.

"He said that protecting me was the repayment of a debt he had to some guy. This guy was dying, and Eric owed him big, so, on his deathbed, Niall told him that he had to keep me safe until my natural death."

"Niall?" Adele's voice was cautious now, "Niall who?"

"Niall Brigant?" Sookie's eyes darted up at the sudden clatter of her Gran's fork to its plate. "Gran?" Adele had her hands over her mouth, and she was clambering out of her chair to stand beside the table. "Gran? What is it? Do you know Niall?"

Adele shook her head, taking long, deep breaths, "No, not Niall." She whispered in a fearful voice, "I knew his son Fintan."

"Gran?" It was Sookie's turn to be cautious.

"Sookie," Adele swallowed hard as her trembling hands reached for Sookie's, her eyes alert and stern, "trust Mr. Northman's abilities. Niall would not put you under the protection of someone that would not be the absolute best guardian available."

"Gran!" Sookie wrenched her hands away, "I've never demanded anything of you, but you _have_ to explain-"

"Hey, Gran! Sooks!" Jason's voice bellowed through the house as the weather door slammed behind him.

"I promise, Sookie." Gran whispered, "But not in front of Jason." She requested, and Sookie let it go as her brother entered the kitchen, "Good morning, Jason. Did you want some breakfast?" She asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He patted his belly as if to tell it good food was on the way.

"Did you hear about Maudette?" Gran asked as she made up a plate.

"Er... Yeah, I did." Jason's face had gone ashen.

"What a thing to happen." Gran frowned, "You knew Maudette, didn't you?"

"Y-yes." Jason was still nervous, and his face was turning a grayish color as Adele handed him his breakfast. He wolfed it down quickly as his grandmother tried to ask him more, using a full mouth as an excuse not to reply with more than a grunt. When he was finished he declared, "I have to go to work, bye Gran, Sooks! Thanks for breakfast!" And he ran out the door in a hurry.

"That was strange." Gran was frowning, "Even for Jason."

"Gran." Sookie said firmly, "Jason's gone. Now, tell me what's goin' on, would ya?"

"Are you done with your breakfast?" Sookie nudged her plate away from her and Gran grabbed it and her own plate to set in the sink, "Let's go to the living room."

Sookie could tell that her Gran was trying to get her story together, but she did not pry. It would probably be best to hear the organized version of her answers. The disarray of her mind would just be even more upsetting and confusing if she peaked.

When the women were seated in the living room, Adele sat quietly for a long moment, "First off, I want you to know that I loved and cherished your grandfather." She began.

"I know, Gran." Sookie tried to sound reassuring. This was her Gran. She would have to police her expressions and responses because nothing her grandmother said would make her stop loving her.

"As much as I loved your Grandaddy, he couldn't give me children. We tried for years and years, but I never got pregnant. Then, a beautiful man came to me, promising that he could give me the babies I longed to have. His name was Fintan... He was absolutely gorgeous." She sighed, and then shook her head to clear the reverie, remembering whose company she was in, "And I had your father. A few years later, Fintan gave me your aunt Linda. Fintan told me even before we made your daddy that his gift to me would come at a price. He told me my children would not be entirely human, and because they were half-breeds, it would mean that they might be in danger. Fintan promised to keep us as safe as he could, and if worse came to worse, he would tell his father about them so that even more protection could be secured. When your daddy and mamma died, Fintan started watching our family very closely. Then, he was killed protecting you children. Before he died, Fintan told his father about you all, and Niall has been watching over you."

"But why did Niall only ask for Eric to watch out for me? What about Linda and Hadley and Jason?" Sookie asked.

"I don't know that I should tell you, Sookie..." Gran was frowning deeply.

"Gran, it's best that I know." Sookie told her.

Rising from the couch, Adele puttered back and forth for a while before she turned to Sookie, "Out of Fintan's descendents, you were the only one that had the _spark_ of the Fairies. Your spark is what drew in the Brigant's enemies. The flood that killed your parents was meant for all four of you. If you hadn't been absolutely terrified of the storm outside, you would have been in the car with them."

Frozen in place at the explanation, Sookie realized very slowly, very reluctantly, that _she_ was the reason her parents had died. "Oh my God." She cupped her hands over her mouth as she gasped into her palms, "I got mamma and daddy killed!"

"Shh, child, you did no such thing. I got them killed because I'm the one that decided it was better to have children who would be in danger their entire lives rather than never be a mother. My selfishness is what cursed this family, not you. You were _born_ with your spark, Sookie. No one can be at fault for being born. I chose to have babies with a fairy, even after he warned me." Adele placed a soothing hand over Sookie's shoulders as she cooed at her, "None of this is your fault." After a long silence, Gran asked tentatively, "Do you hate me now, Sookie?"

Turning her watery eyes upon the woman who sacrificed and raised her throughout most of her life, Sookie shook her head, "Never, Gran. I love you so much." She rose to wrap her arms around Adele's small body and squeezed her tight, "Thank you for telling me."

The women sat back down after they hugged it out, and remained in contemplative silence for a while until Gran said, "Your guardian angel is watching out for you, Sookie. I may not have initially approved of his methods, but given the circumstances, I understand them. He is doing all that he knows how to watch out for you and repay his debt... After some of the little things he's done to watch out for you, I'm happy with his actions so far."

"But he's so rude!" Sookie groaned.

Adele chuckled, "Sweetheart, you know how I can be a bossy pants?"

Sookie looked at her like she had been asked a loaded question, "Uhh, well you're my Gran, you're suppose to be able to boss me around!" She laughed.

"I'm your elder, and you respect me because of my age, and sometimes I get a little stern, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Now imagine I was hundreds of years older than I am. How bossy do you think I would be _then_?"

"Oh Lord!" Sookie laughed at her Gran's way of explaining.

"I'm sure your angel is used to being in charge because of his age, too. He might do things or say things because he's old enough to be very respected by other members of his community. You are just a baby to him, I bet, and little children need a firm hand."

Sookie wrinkled her nose, "I don't like being thought of as a little kid again."

"Of course you don't, but as he gets to know you, he'll start seeing you as a sound minded, kind young woman, I'm sure. Just like I do. Let him have a chance to trust you, okay?" Adele comforted, "Now, it's getting late, you better get ready for work, and I would suggest that you go to see your angel again tonight. You two should get to know each other better."

Sookie blushed a little, "I'm scared to get to know him." She admitted quietly.

"Why's that, Sweety?"

"Do you remember how handsome I told you he was?" Adele nodded with a knowing smile, "Well, multiply it by a million! He's so gorgeous, Gran!" She wailed, "He makes it hard for me to act like the lady you raised me to be."

Adele's knowing smile turned into a grin, "There's nothing wrong with that at your age, Sweety. Remember your manners, but don't berate yourself for being a _woman_."

A fresh blush on her face, Sookie just nodded and then took off up the stairs to get ready for work. Her hot shower did not help her flushed face at all, but she shaved and washed quickly to avoid being under its warmth for too long.

Before long, Sookie was dressed and driving to Merlotte's. As she went into Sam's office to put her purse in his desk, the owner came in and paused in the doorframe.

"Sookie..?" He said worriedly, rushing into her personal space and the telepath could have sworn he was _sniffing_ her!

"Sam!" Sookie gave him a shove in the chest, pushing him away, "What are you doing?"

"You went to that vamp bar last night!" He accused, "Did you let one of those fangers bite you!?" He demanded.

"That's none of your business!" She shouted, shouldering past him.

"Sookie, those vamps are dangerous. I _knew_ you were goin' to do something stupid after work! Damn Dawn for saying the name of that fuckin' bar!" He roared, slamming a fist onto his desk, "You gotta stay away from there, Cher. It's too dangerous."

"It's none of your concern, Sam." Sookie growled, "And, as a matter of fact, it's the safest place in the world for me."

"Are you freakin' kidding me?" Sam's voice was strained.

"And I'm goin' there after work again tonight." She stuck her tongue out at him, "So deal with it!" She stomped out of his office.

"Sookie!" Sam ran after her, "Don't be so...-"

"Stupid?" She reeled on him, "Crazy? That's right, I'm 'Crazy Sookie'. I've got no sense whatsoever."

"That's not what I was going to say!" He complained.

"It's exactly what you were going to say." She accused, spinning back around to walk down the short hallway, past the bathrooms.

"That's not fair." Sam managed to stop her before they were in the serving area.

"Well, life's not fair either." She snapped, "And as I've found out in the last 24 hours, a lot of it isn't yours to control. Let alone mine."

Sam stared at her in surprise, "Sookie," he began cautiously, "what happened last night?"

"It's more about what happened this morning or maybe even 50 years ago." She shook her head in confusion, "It doesn't matter. What's done is done."

"You're not making any sense." He said softly.

"What else is new?" She laughed, but it was strained.

Sam's eyes lost their hardness, and he gave her a comforting gaze in exchange, "What's wrong, Cher? What happened last night?"

"You wouldn't understand. I don't know anyone who would... Well, there's him..." She replied distantly, her mind wandering to Eric.

"Him?" Sam asked, unable to suppress the anger he felt as he could only guess that she was referring to a vampire.

"My guardian angel." She laughed.

Sam had heard her tales of a Guardian Angel, but he had not believed her. He had to admit that her walking away from her car accident without a scratch was impressive, but that had been a couple months before he met her. The details of the crash could have been exaggerated. He had seen plenty of accidents that totaled a car but did not harm the driver.

"Your angel?" Sam tilted his head curiously.

"I finally, officially met him." She nodded, "I've got a lot to talk to him about now."

"Sookie, I-"

"I got to get on the floor, Sam. Arlene'll pitch a fit if she can't get her smoke break in." Sookie ended the conversation with that statement, and walked onto the floor.

Sam sighed as he watched his crush get to work. He wished that she would use her gift to listen to him, to finally _know_ how he felt about her. Part of him wondered if it would even make a difference. It was hard to live up to this "guardian angel" she had, and even more impossible to do so now that she had found him.

Sookie welcomed the thirty minutes that Sam had scraped off of her shift. It was nice to get that half hour on occasion, especially tonight. Aside from the usual annoyances that came with being a telepath surrounded by drunk people, there was the fact that she had learned her own brother had been taken in for questioning over the death of Maudette. Sookie was not particularly worried about her brother, though. He had a knack for getting himself into unfortunate situations, but she, and everybody else, knew that he was not the murdering type. She reasoned that he had probably left something of his at Maudette's during one of their occasional flings, and the police just wanted to know if he had any insight.

Taking her car keys into her hand, Sookie shuffled to her 2001 Toyota, ready to get home and change into something that smelled a lot less like frying oil so that she could go see Eric again. As she approached the car, though, a tingling at the base of her skull made the girl pause. There was someone nearby. It was strange, however, because it was not a blank mind like a vampire, nor was it a person, or even a red hum that accompanied her boss's mind. It was a muddled brain pattern. She had felt a mind like this before on a couple occasions when she went to Jason's football games. This brain felt like the mush someone's head became when they suffered a concussion.

Worried that someone was injured, Sookie followed the mind into the woods past the employee parking lot. She ventured into the dark shadows of the shuddering limbs as she pushed away her nerves. A part of her mind was saying this was a very bad idea. After all, if a wolf or, God help her, a panther, were to find her, it would be very bad news. Adding the fact that she had recently found out that her survival was the key to Eric continuing to exist, and this was not her smartest move.

Still, Sookie could not risk letting someone die only a few feet away from help because they were not alert enough to ask for assistance. She had the ability to find them, and she had a responsibility to make sure they were all right.

Walking deeper into the woods, Sookie felt recognition in the muddled brain's thoughts. She also realized that she was being looked at by two similar, but different perspectives. Alarm rushed through her, and the girl spun on her heel to return back to the bar. She had been lured out here! By what, she did not know, and she certainly did not want to find out!

Sookie only managed to get turned around when she felt something hard and heavy collide with her back. As she stumbled to the ground, she saw the shot put sized rock beside her and realized that it had been what had struck her. It was difficult to assess the damage as he body pumped copious amounts of adrenaline into her system, but as she tried to scramble to her feet, not even her fight or flight response could dampen away all of the pain between her shoulder blade and spine.

While Sookie attempted to clamber to her feet, one of her attackers took the opportunity to reach her. Sookie saw the wild face of Denise Rattray just before the pointed toe of her boot collided with Sookie's jaw. The girl whimpered and went into the fetal position as several blows rained down upon her body. As she was beaten by more than two legs, Sookie realized her other attacker was probably Denise's husband Mack. Not that this mattered, as she felt a particularly hard kick smashed into her lower back, and her legs suddenly felt dead to her, it did not seem that they intended for her to live long enough to say who had attacked her.

Then, suddenly, the melee ended, and Sookie was left to succumb to her wounds. She could taste blood in her mouth, feel the blinding pain in her ribs with each ragged breath. A superficial part of her brain panicked when she realized that a few of her teeth were floating around in her mouth, evicted from their sockets. Again, none of this mattered, because the dark forest floor was slowly going out of focus, becoming darker. She could not get enough air into her lungs. It felt like she had inhaled a cup of water when she tried, and as she coughed, trying to dislodge the fluid, what came from her mouth was blood and teeth.

"Sookie," a voice called, a distantly familiar voice, one that she did not expect, "there's not much time." She was rolled onto her back, and the pain was earth shattering as this was done. The forest floor disappeared, and Sookie was staring up at the stars, and into the eyes of Bill Compton, "Quickly, drink!" He held the open wound of his wrist against her mouth, some of his blood trickling past her lips.

Without thinking the decision through, Sookie spat his blood into Bill's face and shook her head.

"It will not change you." He assured, "It will heal you."

"Not you..." Sookie moaned as he tried to force more blood into her mouth, "Er-Eric!" She called weakly. "Eric, help..."

"He's not here-"

"Let her go, Compton." Eric growled as his feet came to a hard, impatient landing to the earth, "Get out of the way." He commanded as he came to Sookie's side and scooped her into his lap and making her scream in pain. Opening her mouth, Sookie waited for him to feed her his blood, but instead he quickly pressed her broken teeth back into their former homes. She cringed at the sensation, but the next thing he did was open a wound on his arm and allowed her to nurse from it. "Leave, Compton. You had better pray that she did not ingest enough of your blood for you to track her." He snarled. "But we will have words later."

The vampire held her as she dozed in his lap, healing from the attack. It took nearly thirty minutes, but eventually her eyes fluttered back open, and Eric was smiling down at her, but it was a strained smile.

"She lives!" He teased, though his eyes were greatly dilated and intense.

"Ugh..." Sookie groaned, turning her head into his chest, trying to hide her sensitive eyes from the seemingly bright moonlight. She also could not resist running her tongue experimentally over the teeth that had been removed. They did not budge at her tongue's prodding, and Sookie sighed in relief. She hated the dentist.

"The grogginess will subside momentarily." He promised. "You needed quite a bit to recover from those injuries. Even more than what was required after your car accident." He told her. "Open your mouth." Sookie's eyes widened at that request, but she did so without question. His finger poked at the teeth he had placed and he let out a low laugh, "Good, I put them in the right order. I was in a bit of a hurry."

"What would have happened if they weren't where they should be?" She asked.

"They would have tried to root back into the correct sockets and turned outwards. I would have had to pull them back out and fixed it again."

Sookie grimaced at the mere notion, "I'm glad you got it right the first time." She burrowed her face into his chest as her arms wrapped about his waist.

"So am I."

"Thank you." She murmured into his chest. He smelled divine, and she could not keep from trying to breathe and identify every little aroma that mingled to create his scent. She had never smelled something that had made her feel safe before, but his scent was a perfect template for the new category of emotional responses.

"You are welcome, Sookie." He lifted her into his arms as he walked her back to her car. He found her purse with her car keys lying only a few yards from where she had fallen, and he picked it up so that he could drive her home. "In you go." He set her in the passenger's seat, buckling her in safely before going around to the driver's side.

The drive was silent and uneventful, and Eric pulled up to her house in a short amount of time, "How are you feeling?" He asked when he had turned off her car.

"Better, I guess?" She looked at him curiously, "How did you get there so fast?"

"I flew." He answered.

"Like, literally flew?" She gawked at him, "You _are_ an angel!" She laughed after he nodded, and he chuckled as well, "Do you have wings?"

"No." He shook his head, "I felt you getting nervous, and then I felt you resolve yourself, but the whole time you were on edge. I thought it better to be safe than sorry. I am glad, too. You might have been forced to let Compton heal you if I had not."

"Never."

"Then you would have killed us both." Eric pointed out. "Luckily, my blood from last night seemed to have kept some of the damage from killing you as fast as it could have. Unfortunately, your attackers had vampire blood in them as well, and it allowed them to do a lot more damage in a shorter amount of time."

"They took vampire blood?"

"They were V-addicts." Eric nodded, "Not only did they have the initial strength that comes along with consuming our blood recently, but they are stronger than normal humans in general from continued use of it."

"Couldn't I turn into something like that? I mean, from you giving me your blood all the time?" She was nervous.

"You received such low doses in the past that the odds of you becoming an addict were very unlikely. Besides, you will receive my blood regularly for the rest of your life, therefor you will never go through withdrawal. Thankfully, our blood is not something one builds up a tolerance to, so the dosage never needs to be increased, merely supplied consistantly. Vampire blood makes humans healthier, but it is a borrowed vitality. When the magic leaves their system, they do not become _ill_, they have just acclimated to feeling better than they do now. It is all psychological. Humans are very much enslaved to their minds. You, of all people, should know this already." He pointed out.

Sookie nodded in silent agreement.

"Now shall we discuss your stupidity this evening, or do you believe that you learned your lesson?" He asked next.

The telepath's nose scrunched with annoyance at Eric's choice of words, "Stupidity?" She snapped.

"Yes, it seems it will need to be discussed." He sighed before he began, "You walked into a dark, treacherous area, for the Gods know what reason. You had no weapon to speak of, and your body was clearly telling you it was a bad and stupid idea. Yet, despite what your body was saying, you went into the woods alone." He rattled off, each word making her feel just as idiotic as he had suggested.

"I heard someone's mind, but it felt like they were hurt, like they'd been hit in the head." She explained, "I've seen some concussed brains in my time. I thought a camper or someone had gotten injured." She played with the cuticle of her thumb, picking at it slightly, "I was only scared at first 'cause I thought a big cat or a wolf might be in the woods." She added after a brief pause.

"They were glamoured, not injured." Eric told her, "Although, when someone is performing an action they have been glamoured to do, their cognitive reasoning declines sharply... I suppose that to you, their minds would seem damaged... Curious..." He shook his head as if to physically reject her explanation, "As brave and selfless as you were, you must refrain from doing such thoughtless things in the future. You cannot forget that my existence is tied to yours."

"Believe me, I'll never forget that." Sookie crossed her arms over her chest, "But even though we've been linked into the same chain gang, it doesn't mean I'm gonna watch the rest of the world burn and do nothing about it, just because it might give you a few extra gray hairs."

"My hair does not gray."

"Figure of speech." She grumbled, "The point is, I'm not going to hesitate to help someone who I think needs help, just because I _might_ get hurt. I can't turn away from someone in need just because of that."

"What about because of me?" Eric snapped, "Do you even stop and think about the decisions you make for _me_ when you do something asinine like that?"

"No." She shook her head, "But considering I just found out about you last night, I think it's fair to say I have an excuse for falling into old habits." The last part was said rather harshly, and he could feel her annoyance growing with every word now, "It doesn't matter, though. I didn't ask Niall to brand you with a domino destruct. Besides, what makes your life any more important than mine? Or more important than a life I could save? Just because this once it was an ambush, doesn't mean that next time it won't be a mother of three left for dead in the woods."

"THEN BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU!" He bellowed, "You were only several feet away from nearly thirty other people! You could not take two minutes from your rescue to bring along someone who might have been able to help you? _THAT_ was your stupidity! What you did _was_ honorable and brave, but it was unnecessarily careless. There will be times when you cannot acquire assistance, but do not be so impatient to get yourself killed that you neglect to utilize help when it is available."

Sookie sat in stunned silence. She had not even realized what he had been talking about at first. The telepath had assumed that Eric thought her a fool for wanting to help someone in need, but he only thought her stupid for not bringing assistance that was so plentiful and available. Tonight, she had almost died- again- and though it had been set up, she was the one who walked right into it.

"I'm such an idiot..." She moaned.

"You were foolish." Eric nodded in agreement, "But you are also brave. Foolishness can be overcome, but bravery is much rarer a trait, and much more difficult to obtain." Glancing out the car window and to her house he asked, "Do you wish to remain here, or are you ready to go inside?"

"I want to go inside. I'm covered in blood, and I'm gonna need to throw out these clothes before my Gran sees them." She frowned, looking down at her blood and dirt covered uniform.

"Very well, I will-"

"Will you come inside? I mean," the woman blushed before continuing, "there's stuff I wanted to talk to you about. Before this all happened, I was going to go to Fangtasia after my shift to speak with you." At his hesitation, she added, "I promise, I'll be real quick in the shower."

"It would probably be a good idea for us to continue our conversation, then." He nodded, getting out of the vehicle. Sookie was surprised when he came around to her side and opened the door for her, holding his hand out to help her from the seat. Her hand in his sent a small tremble down her backbone, just as it had every time since their first encounter.

True to her word, Sookie showered and changed quickly before meeting Eric back in the living room. Her face was bright red as she sat down beside him on the couch. He waited for her to begin.

When Sookie had yet to say anything for several minutes, he asked, "Why are you so flustered right now?"

"Well, umm, I'm just thinking about how inappropriate my Gran would say that I'm being." At his confused expression, she explained, "Y'know, having a man she has never met in the house at such a late hour."

"I am not exactly a man, though, now am I?" He smirked.

"No, but you're plenty man shaped, and that's enough for her to start terrorizing me." She chuckled.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about?" He asked now that she seemed to have calmed down.

"I talked to my Gran this morning, about you. Let me say, she was none too pleased about what I had to say about our meeting last night. But when I mentioned Niall's name, she completely did a 180. All the sudden, she was sayin' that I should listen to you, and give you the respect you deserve." Sookie did not miss Eric's preening at that, "Of course, I knew that it had to do with you knowing Niall. So I told her to tell me what was really going on."

"And what did she tell you?" Eric asked.

"That after a while, when my grandaddy couldn't give her babies, a fairy man named Fintan offered to help her. I guess he was Niall's son. He warned Gran that part fairies could be in danger throughout their entire lives, but she wanted children, and decided to take the risk. Everything was fine until I was born, though. Fintan told her I had a spark, and that it made it easier for other fairies to find me or recognize me. That's what got my mamma and daddy killed." A sharp breath gasped into her lungs as she kept herself from crying. It was no easy task, learning that your very existence had cost your parents' their lives.

"I see." Eric nodded, "Then, assuming that there is no other fairy blood on your mother's side of the family, that would make you an eighth fae. Fintan was only a half, and then your father would have been a quarter, making you and your brother an eighth." He told her.

"You knew Fintan?" Sookie asked.

"I knew of him. The Elfyrian Royal Family was well known, even the ones born on the wrong side of the sheets." Eric told her.

"Fintan was..."

"An illegitimate son." He nodded, "Ineligible for the throne, but still part of the court."

"And the Queen of Elfyria was cool with that?" Sookie fumed.

"The Fae are not known for monogamy. They take many lovers. Even the Queen had children that were not Niall's. They would have been ineligible for the throne as well, though offered spots in the kingdom. Niall and his children were very well known for their human lovers." Eric stood up and wandered around the room, "Is this your grandmother when she was younger?" He asked, taking a picture from the wall near the fireplace.

Sookie stood up to look at the picture, "Yeah, and that's my daddy." She pointed to the little boy who must have been about three or four when the picture was taken.

"Yes, she was lovely. I could see her attracting a fairy." Eric nodded, putting the picture back on its mount. "So, your grandmother told you to trust me?" He finally asked.

"Technically she said to trust your abilities, not you specifically. She said Niall would have acquired the best security available, and that if he got you, you were worth having." She summed up.

Eric nodded, agreeable to the assessment, "Of course, he could have chosen me because I was the only available person he could secure."

"What do you mean?" Sookie asked.

"The blood offense that I infracted, it is what allowed him to bind my existence to yours." He explained. "Had I not incurred such a grievous offense, his magic would not have held past his death."

"Oh." Sookie did not understand magic, but seeing as Eric had been thoroughly ensconced in it for centuries, she believed in his knowledge of such things. "How old are you again?" She asked curiously.

"Around a thousand. I do not know what year I was born, but I was a couple centuries old when I became aware of what year humans decided it was. My Maker said he turned me within a decade or so of the battle of Svoldr." He shrugged at this, "That is how we determined my age."

"Wow... A thousand years... Is that including or excluding your human life?" She asked.

Eric made a face at the suggestion, "Excluding. My age as a human is inconsequential to my strength as a vampire."

"How old were you when you were turned?" She asked.

"Around 30. Give or take a couple of years." Anticipating her next question, he said, "I was born in the winter."

"Cool." She grinned.

"Does my human life intrigue you more than my vampire existence?" He asked, feeling her curiosity peak more at the topic of his human experience.

"Sure it does!" She was glowing with excitement, "I mean, everything you've seen is interesting, but to hear the human experience of a time so long ago... It's unimaginable!" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, "I bet you lived by the sea..." She sighed.

"What makes you think that?" He asked, sitting down on the couch once more. Sookie heard him move, and went to sit beside him.

"When I was in your arms earlier, it was like I could hear the ocean in my ears, and you smell like the sea to me." She replied whimsically. "But then, you did say you were a Viking, maybe my brain just made a leap."

"It is possible." He smiled at her, and it was the first genuine smile he had given her since they had officially met.

"Still, I'd really like to hear about your human life, too."

"Too?" Eric raised his eyebrows at that, "I have several lifetimes of experiences, Sookie, I think you might want to start with your favorite centuries, first." He laughed, and it sounded wonderful to her ears. To have this vampire who had scared and angered her last night, laughing and smiling at her so genuinely tonight, both befuddled and comforted her. There were still tension creases by his eyes that were still nearly entirely black from his pupils being so dilated, but she ignored it. He was being sociable for a change, and wanted to enjoy it.

"That is quite the blend of emotions." He noted.

"You're the one that inspires those weird mental cocktails." She pointed out.

"I suppose that I am." He agreed. "Is there anything else you wished to speak about before I depart?" He began to rise off of the sofa and Sookie followed him to her feet.

"Well... I wanted to thank you and apologize."

"For what?"

"Saving my life... Again, for one thing. Thank you. And, you were also trying to make me understand a lot last night, and I know I didn't show the gratitude that I should have, so I wanted to apologize and thank you for that, too."

"You're welcome, and your apology is accepted. I am unaccustomed to explaining myself, but as I said, we have quite a long journey ahead of us together. I will attempt to make it as little of a strain as possible on you." He inclined his head slightly, "But do try and minimize your danger, at least?" He stressed.

Sookie managed a small laugh, but she nodded in agreement. "I'll do my best." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"You do that." And before Sookie could react, he had captured that taunting tongue in his teeth and kissed her so deeply that her legs seemed to wobble under her weight. Eric's arm snaked about her waist to support her, and he made the kiss last with long, languid strokes of his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth. "Until tomorrow night." He said before disappearing into the night sky.

He was out of sight before Sookie could even out her breathing, and it was on trembling legs that she wobbled up the stairs to her room after putting out the lights.

Sookie Stackhouse had never had the pleasure of being lost in a kiss before. The few she had shared in the past had been more of an endurance trial, and the amazing kiss from last night had been distracted by the frenzied arousal she had succumbed to. Tonight, Eric had kissed her with great intention, and that deliberateness resounded throughout her entire body.

It was going to be a long night still...

**TBC**

**A/N: I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE CHAPTER, AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 3

My Angel

_A/N: So, this story just had a major plot point in my head, and I am booking it through a lot faster than I thought. So, here is another chapter!_

**-Andi**

**Chapter Three: Look Both Ways**

Turning over in her bed, Sookie ended up on her side, gazing at the giant blond that laid there beside her. The telepath gasped at the Viking's presence, but it did not take long for her to settle and smile a gentle smile at him, "Welcome back." She greeted.

"I could not stay away." Eric replied, reaching between them to cup her chin. A moment later, his lips were against her, and the hand that held her face trailed down her throat, then arm, and finally encircled her waist. Carefully, he pulled the woman closer to his body until they were pressed tightly together. His hand at her side slid further down to caress her hip and bottom until his fingers hooked in the crease of her knee, pulling the limb to hug his waist.

"Mmmm," she moaned against his mouth as her leg over his hip brought them close enough for her to feel the hard bulge between them. Eric kissed along her jaw before arriving at Sookie's neck. His tongue painted her throat, and his blunt teeth nibbled with intoxicating firmness, "Oh! Eric, bite me, please..." She sighed, arching against him as her eyes shut to enjoy the new sensation.

"My pleasure."

Sookie's eyes snapped back open quickly at the voice. Instead of her angel, though, it was Bill Compton beside her, and he made swift work of pinning her wrists above her head. She struggled against his iron hold, but it was useless. Compton's fanged lips were descending upon her, and Sookie could do nothing more than scream out her lack of compliance.

"NO! LET ME GO!" She shrieked in his face. "ERIC, HELP!"

Suddenly the weight was lifted off of her, and after a moment of daring, Sookie finally opened her eyes to see Eric throwing Bill off of the bed and out her bedroom window.

"I cannot leave you alone for a second." Eric sighed, but his lips were a smile.

"Then don't." Sookie reached for him, and Eric fell to sit beside her on the bed. "Don't leave me alone."

"Never..." He kissed her forehead.

Sookie awoke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. What had all of that been about!? The dream began as many of her dreams of Eric did. Them lying in bed, only this time she had asked him to bite her, probably because she knew he was a vampire now. Of course, even before she had known, Dream Eric had always enjoyed paying particular attention to her throat.

"That was an interesting dream." Eric's voice came from her right, and Sookie whipped her head towards her window, "What did you dream?"

"About you."

"_I_ illicit that much fear from you in a dream?" His eyebrows rose in surprise at that.

"No, you were the pleasant part of the dream, but when I closed my eyes, you became Bill Compton." She explained, "And Compton was _not_ pleasant at all. He pinned me down and was going to bite me, but you showed back up and threw him out of the window."

"I would have dismembered him." Eric assured, "But it seems that you got a little of his blood in you. I could not tell since he bled on you earlier."

"What does that mean?" Sookie asked nervously.

"That the magics of my blood and his are at war with your subconscious. Both of us are trying to seduce you through our blood, and your dreams are the easiest way to accomplish that. Though I had no doubt, it seems my blood is more influential than his, and your subconscious is weeding him out of the dreams by making him the villain."

"Wow, there's a vampire blood battle raging inside me." Sookie smirked, "And I thought I couldn't get any weirder." Then, with puzzlement, she asked, "How did you get here so fast?"

Eric laughed quietly, and she could see quite plainly that there was no tension around his eyes anymore, "Contrary to popular belief, a dream is not one continuous stream of subconscious ramblings. It is broken up into several segments over a length of time. You were panicking nearly a half an hour ago. I arrived shortly before you calmed down." He explained.

"Hmm, I didn't know that." Sookie closed her eyes and laid back down upon her bed. "Have you come to check up on me because of nightmares before?" She asked, opening her eyes only slightly to look at him under the heavy lids that demanded more sleep.

"I have. Usually it is easy to determine if you are asleep or not simply by considering what you were feeling prior to that. There have been particularly bad dreams in the past that I did not wish to misinterpret, and came anyway." He was sitting awkwardly in the window frame, his large size not really conducive to a comfortable perch.

"Come sit over here." She patted the bed with a sleep leadened arm, "You look like a big ol' owl scrunched in the window."

Eric smirked and left the window, but he did not sit where she offered, "Daylight is coming. I need to leave soon to make it back to my resting place in time."

"Oh." She pouted, catching one of his hands and playing with the long fingers.

Eric brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, "You will see me again this evening. That is not very far away." Sookie was still pouting, "I have never seen you so ladened with sleep, are you usually this kittenish?"

Sookie gave him a bemused smile, "Only after bad dreams." She admitted. "Or when I'm sick, but I haven't been sick in a long time. That's because of your blood, right?"

Eric nodded, "It cannot stave off all illnesses, but it prevents bacterial infection very effectively. You would need to catch a rather persistent flu to get sick... Do you work tomorrow evening?"

"No," she yawned, "I got the noon shift, so I'll be off around six or seven."

"May I pick you up after your shift?" He asked.

"Why?"

"I would like to spend time with you that is scheduled. If you keep seeing me under such dire circumstances, I am afraid you will develop dread at my mere presence. I certainly do not want that!" He teased.

"I'd really like that." She smiled.

"Is eight o'clock reasonable?"

"Yeah." She was smiling even as she tried to keep her eyes open. Eric smiled back and dropped her hand at last. As he turned to go, Sookie shifted on the bed and called after him, "Wait!"

"Yes?" He turned back towards her, seeing a blush on her cheeks.

Licking her lips nervously she asked, "Can I... Can I have a kiss before you go?"

The vampire grinned at her as he strode back to her bed. Leaning down, he cupped her chin in his large palm and brought his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss. He wanted her to be well rested for work and her night with him tomorrow, but the next evening, he would not mind getting her a little worked up!

"Goodnight, Dear Sookie." He whispered against her mouth, and before Sookie's eyes opened again, he was gone.

"I really hate when you disappear like that." She grumbled.

{†}

Sookie awoke to the familiar smell of Gran cooking again. That was always the true signs that the day had begun. Once, when Sookie was around ten, Gran had been in bed with a cold, and Sookie remembered thinking that it just was not morning yet. So, step stool in hand, the little girl made breakfast for Jason, Gran, and herself all alone. Jason had complained about how it was not as good as their mother's had been, or anywhere near as good as Gran's. Sookie had bawled for most of the morning, but Adele, sick as a dog, had gotten out of bed and given Sookie a big hug and thanked her for the wonderful breakfast. Of course, two days later, Sookie had the same cold, but she had endured it, knowing that her grandmother would make her the best homemade chicken noodle soup in the whole world.

With a big stretch and jaw cracking yawn, Sookie rolled out of her bed and gave her sleep tousled hair a smoothing before heading downstairs for breakfast. As always, Gran barely needed to look up to hand off the girl's plate as she walked through the archway to the kitchen. Sookie smiled as her grandmother continued to gossip on the phone. Of course, the old woman quickly ended the conversation once Sookie arrived, and sat herself across from her granddaughter.

"Good morning, Dear." Gran smiled across the table at her.

"Good morning, Gran." Sookie beamed at her.

"You're in a much better mood than yesterday." She noted, "Did you get a chance to talk with Eric last night?"

"Yes," she smiled, "but we didn't get to talk as much as I'd like. He asked if he could pick me up after my shift tonight, though. He said it would be nice to actually meet up when both of us knew about it." She giggled.

"Oh, I see." Gran hid a smile behind the toast she was bringing to her lips. After she took a bite, she asked, "And you seem to approve of him more than you did yesterday." Her voice was more than a nudge to explain.

"Well, what you had to say has a lot to do with it." Sookie admitted, "You're right about the fact that since he's so much older, he has a bigger sense of expectations. He said one of the reasons he was so short with me is because I make impulsive decisions that can be extremely dangerous. And he's right." She frowned, "I really don't think through my actions as carefully as I should."

"You have a big heart, Sookie." Gran reached across the table to pat her hand, "There's nothing wrong with that."

"But a big heart means that it's a bigger target." She muttered.

Gran smiled a bit sadly at her, "Yes, it does, Dear. But you have a lot of strength, too."

"Eric said I am brave, but foolish." Sookie said contemplatively, "He seems to think that's a good thing though, because it's easier to overcome stupidity than it is to become brave."

"Sometimes, when I look at your brother, I have to wonder." Gran chuckled, "That boy would jump into the bayou full of gators before you'd see him even look for one if someone dared him to."

Sookie laughed loudly at that, "Gran!" She giggled, "I've never heard you talk about Jason like that."

"Oh, but I've thought it, and you know that." Gran laughed right along with her, "Would you mind bringing Eric by the house some evening? I would really like to meet the man responsible for looking after my granddaughter."

"Sure." Sookie nodded, "Thanks for breakfast, Gran." She took her plate to the sink, "I need to get ready for work!" She called as she ran back towards the stairs.

As Sookie finished up in the shower, she could hear her phone ringing in her bedroom. Running to her room, she managed to answer the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Hey, Sam, what's up?" She asked automatically. He was the only one that ever called from Merlotte's.

"Sookie, can you drop by Dawn's place? I think she overslept for work." Sam replied. "If it makes you a little late for work, I'll keep Arlene off your back." He laughed.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm running a little early, so I shouldn't be late." She assured him, "See you in about a half hour." And she hung up without a further word. Dressing quickly, Sookie was hopping down the stairs in one shoe, and flinging her purse over her shoulder at the same time, "Bye, Gran!" She called, "Love you!" before running out the door and getting her other shoe on before stepping off of the porch.

Driving just slow enough that her Gran would not give her a talking to later, Sookie pulled up to the curb by Dawn's rental. With a little hop out of her car, the woman ran up the steps and knocked sharply at the door. When her co-worker did not respond, the blonde knocked again calling out, "Dawn! You're suppose to be at work! You overslept, Hun!"

Still, there was no answer. This was very unlike the brunette barmaid. Sookie knew that Dawn never partied this hard the day before an early shift. It had been the woman's rule. Now, Sookie was breaking her own rule. She was reaching out with her telepathy. What she did not find sent a strange chill to her stomach. "Dawn?" Sookie called, but it was weak.

Reaching for the door handle without considering if it was a good idea or not, Sookie found it unlocked, adding to her unease. "Dawn?" She whispered as the door creaked open, setting the hairs on the back of her neck up at full attention. With the help of her telepathy, Sookie knew that there was no other person in the house, so she let the door open. The air was crisp, like someone had blasted the A/C at its coldest possible setting, causing the sun soaked warmth of Sookie's skin to goosebump and send her into shivers other than terror.

Each step Sookie took was a weak kneed wobble. Her eyes glanced about the rooms cautiously, looking for anything out of sorts. It was not immaculate, but it was quite clean for a bachelorette's pad.

"Dawn?" Sookie croaked, already feeling tears building in her eyes as she came to the bedroom door. It was partially open, and as Sookie knocked unnecessarily, the door groaned the rest of the way open. The woman froze for a split second before diverting her gaze from the pale corpse on the bed. There was no signs of what had ended Dawn's life, but Sookie knew it was not her job to find out. Instead, she just kept looking at the corner of the room, not daring to look anywhere else.

"Dawn!" Jason's voice startled Sookie out of her terror induced stupor, and she turned to see her brother standing in the doorway. This could not be a good sign. He was holding flowers.

Several hours later, Sookie was in the bar, staring absentmindedly at a glass she was washing. Jason had been taken into custody, and the thoughts and accusations in the minds of the Merlotte's patrons was enough to drive the woman mad. How could this be happening?

"Sookie?" The telepath started at Sam's voice. "It's real calm in here, the drinks ain't fillin' so fast with everyone gabbing. Why don't you go on home..." The phrase _You look like you've seen a ghost_ passed briefly through his head, but he did not say it. She had seen worse than a ghost. Sookie Stackhouse had seen a corpse that morning.

"That's probably a good idea." She said quietly, "I can't guarantee I won't smack some of these people for what they're thinkin'." She admitted, uncharacteristically referring to her gift- something she always went out of the way to avoid implying. "I'll see you later, Sam." She mumbled before leaving to clock out.

The sun was just setting, and Sookie was sitting in silence with Gran in the living room when Sookie's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Sookie frowned, not having the number that was calling in the phone's memory.

"Sookie, it is Eric, what has happened?" He asked.

"How did you get my phone number?" Sookie asked with surprise.

"Of all the things I have done in the past five years, you are asking how I got your phone number?" She could practically hear his eyebrows raising with that amused speculativeness she was growing strangely fond of.

"One of my co-workers was murdered last night." Sookie told him.

"I will be there shortly. I must wait for true dark before I can leave." He told her. "You are at your house, yes?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"My blood is pulling in that direction, not the bar. I should be there in about an hour's time." He said, "Do not leave the house until I arrive."

"Sir, yes, Sir!" She said in impersonation of a soldier's bark.

Eric's reply was hanging up.

"Why did he just hang up like that?" Sookie grumbled, shoving her phone back in her pocket.

"I don't know, Dear. Does he usually get short when you make those smarty-pants comments?" Adele asked innocently as she reached for her tea.

Sookie smiled to herself a little goofily, "Yeah, usually."

"Then, there's your answer." She took a sip from her mug, "Would you like some more, Sookie?" She gestured to the cup Sookie had been drinking from.

"No... Thank you, Gran." Sookie shook her head.

As Adele went to freshen up her cup of tea, she patted Sookie's shoulder comfortingly as she passed, "It will be fine, Sookie. Jason will talk his way out of it. We both know that boy's not a killer."

"Yeah, but you should've seen Andy! He looked absolutely giddy about taking Jason to the station." Sookie frowned as she called after her Gran.

As the old woman walked back into the living room, fresh cup of tea in hand, she answered, "Perhaps Eric might be able to help?" She suggested.

Sookie's frown deepened, "I was thinking the same thing, but... With all the crap he has to put up with watching out for me..." She shook her head, "Even if it annoys him, I can't _not_ ask for his help. Not if it means that Jason can be helped."

Gran leaned over and patted her granddaughter's knee, "I'm sure it will be fine, Dear. And while we're talking about Eric, when am I going to meet him?"

"Tonight. He's coming here." Sookie told her.

"Does he know he's meeting me?" Gran asked.

"Er..."

"Sookie!" Gran gave her a disapproving glare, her lips puckered like she had tasted something sour, "You can't just spring that on a man!"

"He isn't a _man_." Sookie protested, "Besides, I'm sure he's met you, even though you don't remember him. By the way he's talked, I bet he's glamoured you and Jason on several occasions."

That made her grandmother's glare harden, "Yes, now that you mention it, I bet he has. That man is going to get a tongue lashing when I meet him officially."

Sookie smirked a bit. This would be good.

{†}

"Ooooh! Someone's in trouble." Sookie singsonged as Eric walked towards the steps of the porch. She was leaning against the rail, watching him approach, a sinfully delighted expression on her face.

"Oh? What did you do now?" Eric asked, as he met her at the top of the porch, and she stepped nearer to him, unable to resist the urge to be as close to him as possible.

"Very clever." She stuck her tongue out at him, "But I was referring to you."

"Is that so?" Eric's arms wrapped about her waist loosely, happy to find that she reveled at the contact. It was reassuring to have her accept his touches, especially the innocent ones, "What is it that I have supposedly done."

"You glamoured my Gran. She's non-to-pleased about it, too."

"You told her this?" Eric's eyebrows rose.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she was chastising me about not warning you that you'd meet her tonight. I told her not to worry because you've probably already met her, even if she doesn't remember." Sookie explained.

"I see." Eric said only this before letting Sookie out of his arms and walking into the little farmhouse. His ward's grandmother was sitting in her rocker with some knittings, glancing up occasionally to look at the TV program that was airing. "Good evening, Mrs. Stackhouse."

"Oh my." Adele looked up to see the vampire standing in the archway to the living room. He was much bigger than she had envisioned, and she realized quickly that her granddaughter had not been exaggerating about his beauty. A healthy blush bloomed beneath the old woman's cheeks, "Then you are Mr. Northman?"

"I am." Eric leaned against the frame of the entryway, "And I have glamoured you on several occasions so that you would slip my blood to your granddaughter without her knowing. Since she is a telepath, I thought it better to remove the events from your memory so as not to reveal myself or my actions too soon."

Gran was nodding slowly, "And why did you find it necessary to remain anonymous for so long?"

"Vampires were not known to humans at the time I was recruited to guard your granddaughter. Rather than complicate her life, I decided to remain in the shadows of her existence. My intention was to remain there as long as possible, however, she tracked me down." Eric explained, "I thought her finding me, rather than revealing myself would be more palatable. If she did not wish to know me, she would not seek me, and if she did, I figured once vampires were known, she would find me herself. Obviously, I was correct." He smiled fondly at Sookie, "It was not a pleasant affair, manipulating her close friends and family, but it was a necessity. When it comes to Sookie's safety, her needs, whether she is aware of them or not, will always outweigh the privacy- including her own."

Gran's face was terribly grim as she nodded in understanding, "I see." Was all that she uttered as she gave her chair a sedated rocking. Sookie could tell by the old woman's expression that she would have very little to say for the rest of the night. The implications of what she had set into motion 50 years ago had left the grandmother silenced. She no longer had much of a say in anything. Her actions all those decades ago, that time of selfishness and need for gratification had bound the woman's hands now. With danger looming in her granddaughter's life, all because Adele Stackhouse wanted children more than anything else in the world, even their own safety, Sookie was paying for it. All Adele had lost was a say in her favorite granddaughter's life, Sookie had lost a large chunk of her own independence. How could a grandmother live with this realization?

"Gran." Sookie came to the old woman's chair, wrapping her arms around the slumped shoulders, "I'm not upset, I promise. Stop blaming yourself." She pleaded.

"You're suppose to stay out of my head, Young Lady." Gran replied amusedly, patting Sookie's hand where it rested near her breastbone.

"I can still see your face." Sookie gave the woman a squeeze.

Clearing her throat as if to dislodge the emotion built up inside of it, Adele turned her eyes upon Eric now, "After all you're already doing, I know I have no right to request this..." She began after a moment, "But my grandson, Jason, has gotten himself into trouble. Normally, I wouldn't ask anyone else to get him out of his own stupidity, but local law enforcement seems to be trying to railroad him for the murders of two young ladies that live in the area."

Eric crossed his arms over his chest as he thought about this, "Since his incarceration would cause undo stress to Sookie, I will look into the situation." He promised, "There is something I would like to request as well, now."

"I am listening." Gran nodded.

"I would like you to consider a few options. First off, I would like to take over the financial obligations of your home, so that you might be more open to letting Sookie move away from Bon Temps and into Shreveport. If she is in the city with me, I will have faster access to her, as well as be able to protect her better." Eric explained, "I need to get her out of the bar she is working at. It is posing far too many problems now that Compton has shown an interest in her."

"Mr. Compton?" Adele was surprised.

"Your new neighbor." Eric nodded, "And where his interest is piqued, so means is the interest of a potentially greater complication."

"How do you mean?" Sookie asked. Eric's arms dropped from where they were crossed, and he looked at Sookie with an expression that clearly said he was contemplating how much to divulge. "Ugh, you think about it, and get back to me when you're done blacking out the confidential parts." She grumbled, making Eric smirk.

"I will-" Eric tensed momentarily, just before his phone started to ring. Holding up a hand to request an interlude, the vampire answered the call, "Yes?"

"_Master, there is trouble."_ Was all Pam said before hanging up.

Eric sighed, looking at his watch, "Ladies, if you will excuse me, I must attend to some... Issues. Sookie," he took her hand, laying a gentle kiss on the back of it, "I will return later, and I will have more answers for you then."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

And then he was gone.

"My goodness." Gran was holding her hand over her heart as though she had been overwhelmed, "You weren't kidding about that man making it hard to act like a lady!" She began fanning herself.

Sookie chuckled at her Gran's antics, "Yeah, he's a stud." She sighed, flopping onto the couch with a grunt. Her lips quirked in a grimace, "Kind of makes me wonder about what an idiot I'm being."

"How do you mean, Dear?" Gran picked her knitting back up now that their company had gone.

The girl gave her grandmother a disbelieving leer, "A man, a vampire even, that gorgeous? What would he want with me? I already told you how arrogant he can be. Do you really think I'm anything to him other than a responsibility? Sure, he flirts with me, but if he's going to be stuck with me for decades, he might just want to get a little action while I'm still pretty."

Gran shrugged, "That's a possibility, but he _is_ stuck with you, and you are stuck with him. There's nothing wrong with you both getting something nice out of it."

"Gran!" Sookie looked offended.

With a scowl, Adele chucked her knitting back down, "Sookie, you have had no more than a single date with _any_ man because of what you hear. Vampires are silent to you. Do you honestly think you won't end up at least dating one? At least Mr. Northman is _obligated_ not to hurt you. I can't say he won't break your heart, but from what I know of vampires- he would be the best option since he won't get you killed."

Sookie was frowning even harder as her gran made her point, but an argument still needed to be raised, "But he's nothing like what I know I want... Other than being drop dead gorgeous." She admitted, "He's rude and conceited and arrogant and... and... Grr!" She stood up swiftly, "He drives me absolutely crazy and I've only known him a couple of days!"

"And you light up when you see him." Gran pointed out.

A blush crept down Sookie's cheeks, towards her neck, "Well, like I said, he's good looking."

"That's not the same. You enjoy teasing him, and he enjoys letting you... That first time you met him, Sookie, you said he was rude to you. Well, perhaps he was. I might say he was rude to me tonight as well, but I know better. He's to the point. I'm old, but he's much older. I know all about when to get to the point and when to lolligag, and that man is very frank because he knows there's not much he needs to keep from you."

"Except Compton's intentions, or who this other pain in the butt is."

"For your protection. Vampires were and are just as secretive as the fairies were-"

"And now they're almost all dead." Sookie grumbled.

"That is besides the point. When outsiders learn sensitive information, it is in the best interest of the supernatural world to... _quiet_ those who discover their secrets." Gran shuddered.

"You act as though..." Gran looked up with grave eyes, "What happened?"

"When you were seven... You remember how you almost drowned?" Gran asked quietly.

"I'll never forget it." Sookie shivered.

"You didn't _fall_ into the lake, Sookie, or get caught in the weeds. A water fairy was trying to kill you. Fintan arrived in time to save you, and thankfully you were too little to realize what had happened, but I watched Fintan drag the fairy from the lake and kill it. It had learned there was a fairy hybrid living nearby and it tried to kill you. Had Fintan not gotten rid of it, the fairy would have either come back, or sent others to come after you."

Falling back into her seat, Sookie stared across the room in a daze. Eric had been right. What a miracle the twenty years prior to his recruitment had been.

"Gran... How many times have I almost _died_?" Sookie asked. "Like... By the hands of an enemy?"

"I don't know, Dear." Gran gave her a sad grimace, "And I don't know how many more close calls you will have."

**TBC**

**A/N: A lot happened in this chapter, so please review and let me know what you think!**

**-Andi**


	5. Chapter 4

My Angel

_A/N: Yeah, this story has me totally obsessed, so I am throwing another chapter out already! __Trouble Maker__ is still living up to its name as far as my Muse is concerned. Thankfully, I still have a good number of chapters prepared as a buffer!_

_*lemon this chapter*_

_So, please, enjoy another chapter of Sookie's ricocheting confusion and paranoia with want and affection! I swear she'll get over this soon, but for now, I'm forcing her to work out all of her kinks and grow the fuck up._

_-Andi_

**Chapter Four: Leap**

"_Jesus Christ!"_ Sookie gasped as she awoke suddenly to a cool hand caressing her face, "Eric!" She hissed.

"I told you I would return." Eric chuckled.

"Yeah, but not at two in the morning." She grunted, rolling onto her side and covering her head with a pillow. It was all for naught, though. After that wake up call and a night contemplating the tumultuous nature of her continued existence, Sookie would not fall back asleep so easily. Pulling the pillow from her face, she turned over again to look at her company, "Is everything all right?" She finally asked.

"All is well. Just a raid at the club, and a vampiress was caught feeding in the bathroom. My presence was required." He informed her.

"Oh." She bit her lip for a thoughtful moment, "Do you get in trouble when stuff like that happens?" She asked.

"I am fined and closed down for the remainder of the evening. If it were to happen again, I might be forced to close for a number of weeks. The club being shut down is a possible repercussion if it were to be a continuous problem." Eric explained.

"How much do you have to pay?"

"In the end, nothing." Eric told her, "The infraction is compensated by the vampire at fault in the end.

Tarren will make repayment, and then some for the inconvenience."

"Well, that's something at least." Sookie gave a weak smile.

"And that is all it is. Something." Eric sighed.

Sookie tilted her head at that statement, "Are you tired?" He looked at her in confusion, "Of the repetitiveness, I mean? 'Cause there's days where I just stop and look around whatever room I'm in, and just pray for something to happen. Anything, even if it's bad. Just to break up the monotony."

Eric smirked, "Yes, I suppose that I am tired. Your existence has definitely broken up the tedium, though." He twirled a lock of her light hair, "My personal trouble maker." He laughed softly in deference to the old woman sleeping in the house.

"Sorry."

"Do not be. Trouble is so much more fun than fads or trends could ever be."

"What about the advancements in technology?" Sookie asked, "You were around when a sharp piece of metal was still a pretty big thing." She giggled.

Eric smiled as well, "Technology is a fine thing. For those of us who have existed for so long, it is pleasant to be able to communicate more easily, but I feel like it has dulled the senses of some of my fellow vampires. And humans have become so overstimulated."

"What do you mean?"

"An age of instant gratification. No one knows how to wait anymore. Humans and vampires alike." Eric sat down on her bed.

"Are you one of the afflicted?" She asked in a teasing tone.

With a small smile, Eric cupped her chin and contemplated her, "Admittedly, the last five years have been especially difficult. Normally five years is nothing but a drop in a very large sea."

Sookie knew exactly what he was alluding to, but the strain of her heartbeat and the tightness of her throat begged to hear him say it aloud, "What were you waiting for?" She asked breathlessly.

His eyes were direct and unabashed, "For you to find me."

Everything in her body was drawn to him like a magnet at those words, and she could not restrain it in that moment. Without thinking about what she was doing, Sookie's mouth reached for his, her lips pursing, as her eyes drifted shut. When he did not pull away from the offered kiss, Sookie's mouth pressed tightly to his, and her hands wove into his hair. His tongue did not request access to her mouth. It was almost as if he were letting her decide exactly how intimate this action would be.

When the kiss ended, Sookie pressed her forehead to his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head, "It's not right that you should be able to do that to me." She panted, rustling the fine, light hairs that lay in wisps below where his collarbones met. "One minute I could strangle you, the next I want to tie you to my bed. What kinda sense does that make!?"

Eric purred at that last part, "I usually prefer to do the tying up. It would only be an illusion if you did it." Sookie could not fathom why that statement made her nether regions throb, but it certainly gave her a jolt of arousal. Eric took a deep inhalation after his statement, and continued, "It seems you might prefer it too."

"Eric," Sookie groaned, that voice of his doing all sorts of ungentlemanly things to her, "don't tease me."

"I do not tease, Sookie." His body leaned into hers as he said this, making Sookie turn onto her back as his frame covered hers, "I will give you whatever you ask for."

Licking her lips as she thought out a decision, Sookie let out a tiny, indecisive whimper, "I-I dunno."

"Then how about if I just entertain myself while you think about it." He offered before dipping his head into the curve of her shoulder and began nipping at the pliable flesh.

"AH!" Sookie arched into his body, her hips twisting frantically against his.

"Shh, Sookie. You do not want to wake your grandmother, do you?" He mumbled before giving her a particularly hard nibble.

Sookie's reply was to bite her bottom lip as she moaned. No one had ever touched her like this, and it exhilarated and frightened Sookie how responsive her body was. Every caress of his hands or mouth seemed to bat away at her impulse control.

"Eric." She whined, her arms wrapping around him as her legs encircled his waist. The new position let her feel the same hard ridge that she had rubbed against the other night, and the sensation was just as splendid, even without vampire blood spurring her on, "Oh, God." She gasped into his ear, using her legs to rock her pelvis against that welcoming bulge.

"I have hardly touched you, Lover." Eric growled into her ear.

"Th-then touch me!" She panted excitedly.

"With pleasure." His tongue snaked out to flick her earlobe as his hand traveled the hills and valleys of her body. Eric took his time exploring the twin peaks, feeling the hard pebbles of her nipples through the thin material of her long shirt. The blankets she had been mostly under when he arrived were bunched at her hips now, one leg still concealed, but the other free and exposed all the way to the point where it met the other. "Can I take this off of you, Sookie?" Eric was playing with the tail of her shirt, and the girl was squirming slightly.

"Ummm..." She replied hesitantly.

"There is nothing to be nervous about, Sookie. I am going to take good care of you." He promised, kissing her lips gently, soothingly.

"I know." She answered, but he could feel her apprehension. It was not news to Eric that Sookie was vastly lacking in sexual experience. Being a telepath had hindered the woman to the point where simple, adolescent groping had her body aflame. Her body was screaming to be touched, but her mind was nervous and shy, having never gained any confidence in her seduction game or body image.

Soon, Eric's lips were back on hers, and Sookie barely noticed her shirt riding up, further and further. It was not until he had to leave her mouth to pull the shirt over her head that she realized she was lying on her bed in only her panties, with a big, aroused vampire between her legs. That nervousness she experienced earlier returned, but she did her best to stamp it back down.

While Sookie was battling internally with her nerves, Eric was battling externally to keep his hands from scaring his Sookie even more. But those breasts! He had admired them from a distance for years, judging them, picturing them exposed and begging for attention. Though he had seen her topless from her bedroom window on occasion, it was not the same as having two, large, beautiful breasts heaving before his eyes.

Burying his face between the two, inviting mounds, Eric squeezed the fleshy globes against his cheeks while his fingers continued to pluck and pinch her nipples.

"Oh my Go-ooood..." Sookie groaned as her pelvis tilted against him without her willing it to. The welcomed ache he was creating in her was driving the young woman crazy. How could playing with her breasts make her feel so desperate for more? Sookie had rarely paid much attention to her bosom when pleasuring herself. Normally when she resorted to such measures, she was already so pent up that her body required very little priming to reach the grand finale. "Eric!" She gasped when his mouth enveloped a begging nipple, and his teeth nibbled just hard enough to cause her hips to snap upwards against him. "Ah! I'm goin' crazy." She moaned as her hand wove its fingers into his hair and her legs that were raveled about his waist squeezed him closer to her body, "Hummmmm," her back arched with a whimper when he gave her other nipple the same treatment as the last, "I need mo-more!" She gasped, giving his hair a yank so that she could contort enough to capture his lips with hers, "Please, give me more." She gasped against his mouth before bestowing another hard kiss.

"How much more?" Eric purred devilishly and it caused liquid fire to coat the inside of Sookie's underwear.

"Whatever you'll give me." She mewled gently, legs flexing to pull him to her and eyes clenching closed to hold back tears.

"You do not know what you are asking for." Eric chuckled, "But I know where to start." He promised as he disengaged from Sookie's vine like constriction and began running his hand down the length of her torso. When he reached the barrier of her panties, he toyed with the elastic, giving it a gentle snap against her skin before asking, "Can I take these off of you, Sookie?" The girl squirmed a bit at the request, her bottom lip captured between her teeth as a nervous, "ummm" trembled in her throat, "Just let me know when you are ready." He told her as his fingertips pressed against her sex through the fabric of her underwear. He let out a cool breath against her throat that created goosebumps all over the woman's body, and Eric briskly ran his hands over the insides of her thighs in response. His fingertips rubbed against her center for a moment before kissing and nipping her right breast while massaging the other with his free hand. Sookie's legs were trembling as he alternated between caresses, kisses, and nibbles. When those tremors were wracking her entire body, his hand slipped past the elastic and began rubbing her hidden pleasure point. "Are you sure you still want these on, Lover?" He asked.

"Ah, take 'em off." She groaned, bucking against his hand.

Eric smirked to himself before hooking the waist of her panties in his fingers and dragging them off of her body, sure to let his fingernails glimpse her skin as he did. Sookie was panting by the time he stuffed the panties in his back pocket. When she was finally bare, Eric took the crease of her knees in his hands and slowly opened her center for his viewing pleasure. Shyly, Sookie reached down to cover herself with her hands, blushing at his blatant appraising.

Eric rumbled deep in his chest when she tried to hide herself. Instead of demanding she stop, he began kissing her shielding hands and urged gently, "Do not hide from me." He nibbled and suckled one of her fingers, snaking his tongue between the twitching little digits until it managed to flicker briefly against a plump lower lip. The small contact made Sookie's leg bob in response, and Eric smiled at the reflexive jump of the limb. "You are beautiful, Sookie. Let me see all of your beauty." He said between kissing her knuckles.

Tentatively, Sookie pulled her hands from her middle, and they rose to fist beneath her chin as she stared down at him apprehensively. However, Eric was not looking at her face in that moment, instead, he was reveling in the sight of her womanhood, finally uncovered. She was radiating heat, and her arousal, despite all of her nervousness, had created a thick coat of dew on the inside of the nether lips. Her folds were swollen and reddening with unresolved need, which Eric was becoming all too happy to relieve her of.

"Beautiful Sookie," He kissed her hot lower lips, "you need to take care of yourself more often, or let me do it for you. Your poor pussy is crying for attention." His tongue snaked from within his mouth to taste her, cooling her overheated sex. The vampire could feel what effect his words were having on her. She liked the way he spoke about her needs, it aroused her further, and he was perfectly content with continuing his lusty dialogue. It had to be all of the romance novels she had been reading, he reasoned. Then again, the Viking was more than well aware that his bedroom voice could melt the panties off of anything on two legs within a five mile radius.

"Eric," she breathed in an excited whisper as his tongue began to dance against her center, "th-that feels so g-good." She shook and stretched beneath him, her body both trying to get away from him and trying to stay as close to him as possible. Her mind and body were at war, arguing over ladylike morals and sexual needs. Eric already knew which side would win. Sex was instinctual, and Sookie needed it so badly. The Southern Belle in her was just going to have to either suffer in silence or enjoy succumbing. And by the sounds Sookie was starting to make, Eric was pretty sure the debutante was losing ground quickly, "Mmm, uh! More." She whined, and Eric had to repress a laugh. Yes, sex had won another battle.

Using his hands now, Eric glided a fingertip over her wet gash as his mouth suckled her clit. Sookie was bucking against his face, her fingers entangled in his hair until she felt one of his long digits begin to slide inside of her. Her body stilled and tensed at the sensation, which made the vampire pause. Keeping his hand in place, Eric went back to teasing her clit with his mouth until she relaxed once more, and allowed him to move his hand freely.

"Eric..." She panted, and he could feel a building nervousness.

"Do not be shy, Sookie, you can let go." He assured her.

"I-I won't be, ah, q-quiet enough." She gasped, her hips bucking as her climax came barreling forth, followed by a crescendoing whimper as if to prove her statement.

Crawling up her body, and leaving his hand to continue pleasuring her, Eric took her lips against his own just as his fingers sent her over the edge. Her cry was captured in his mouth, though it still rang throughout the room. Thankfully, Eric could tell that the noise did little more than cause Adele Stackhouse to give a little grunt in her sleep.

"How do you feel?" Eric whispered against her lips as his fingers continued to leave ghost like caresses against her womanhood, reveling in the throbbing twitches that still kept her quaking.

Looking at him, as if through a haze, Sookie smiled at him dazedly, "That was awesome." She giggled when she could not find an adequate word. "I felt like I was going to tear apart in the best way. Like breaking out of a cocoon or something."

Eric smiled down at her, "I am glad that you enjoyed yourself." Leaning down, he kissed her again, gently.

"Eric."

"Yes?"

"I still don't know what to make of you." She told him.

"I suppose it would be difficult for you to accept that I am not here because of my debt to your great grandfather, but you have said it yourself. There are things that I have done that had nothing to do with your safety. Does that not count for anything?" Eric asked.

"But you were so underhanded in some of the things you did for me. Like glamouring the Rattrays into staying out of my section, and dosing me with your blood-"

"The second one was a necessity. I do not apologize for that. As for the Rattrays, do you not think that the way Bill glamoured them into beating you and then killing them was more reasonable?" He pressed.

"Well, that's like saying is it worse to poison someone or shoot them in the head." She huffed.

"I think I would say poisoning is worse. Though shooting someone in the head is more graphic and bloody, at least it is quick. Poisoning is usually extensive discomfort and a slow, painful death... Unless of course you mean poisoning by drugs that you would succumb-"

"Eric!" Sookie snapped, "I was not asking for a lecture on the best ways to murder someone depending on whether you want them to suffer or not!"

The vampire smiled at her, and quickly changed the subject, "I should ask you to be naked when you argue with me from now on. At least it gives some pleasantness to the situation."

"You're horrible." Sookie shoved his shoulder so that she could reach around the floor by the bed for her night shirt.

"I thought I was _awesome_." Eric laughed.

"No, what you did to me was awesome, what you're saying to me is horrible." She growled as she pulled her night shirt over her head with furry.

"Then why did you bring this topic up for discussion?"

"Just stop." Sookie flopped back on her bed, covering her face with her eyes. "I think you should go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to get in an argument with you."

"Then refrain from doing so." Eric shrugged and laid down beside her, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom.

"Yeah, because it's that easy." Sookie leered at the side of his head as she uncovered one of her eyes.

"It is, actually. Why do you think that you are mad at me right now?"

"Because you're trying to act like you're not here right now because you're getting a few perks out of this gig you got roped into." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at the ceiling now, too, "And I don't believe it."

"Sookie, have I asked, hinted, or alluded to wanting you to do something for me? Have I asked you for sex? Or to pleasure me in any way other than your company?" His tone was stern, and though there was no anger, Sookie could not help but feel like she was getting a reprimand.

"No." She frowned. "But-"

"But nothing." Eric cut her off, "You are looking for reasons for this to be anything other than real. You want to believe that I am here for one reason, and one reason only. If I had not told you from the very moment that you found me, that I was doing what I do because of the contract with Niall, what would you have done? If, instead, I had said that I saw you from a distance and could not fathom leaving such a beautiful and wonderful creature unprotected; that the stars had proclaimed that I watch out for you from a distance; that it was love at first sight, but I was ashamed of the creature of darkness that I am... Would any of those lies been better than the truth? And when you came to know the truth, what would those lies have meant to you then?"

"If you hadn't told me the truth... Told me one of those lies instead... When I found out what was real, I would have felt betrayed." Sookie admitted. "And I doubt that I would've ever trusted you again." Eric could feel her becoming defensive again, but he spoke before she could pave any more doubt.

"You will have to think about all of this yourself, Sookie. In my presence you are only ricocheting from contemplative to defensive, and honestly, I am done with it. You will never be rid of me, at least come to terms with that." The vampire rose from the bed and walked over to the window, "I will see you again when you need me, or if you decide to come find me yourself. I will leave you alone until either of those come to pass."

With that, Eric leapt out the window, and Sookie's heart jumped before she remembered that he could fly.

Eric took off into the night sky, not looking back once at the damned little farmhouse that his greatest complication in centuries resided in. He had not been this frustrated in a very long time, and the strain of it all was beginning to make him short tempered.

He wanted the telepath for himself, in every way he could fathom at the moment. Part of him wanted to utilize her gift. Another side wanted to fight with her until the sun made him stop. He wanted to listen to her speak, melting on the inside at her sweet, southern lilt. Without any doubt, he wanted her body. She was so soft and warm, and the noises she made while he pleasured her had made him crazy with want.

But he could not have any of these things. Not yet. Sookie was stubborn, and suspicious by nature. Part of the blame began with him. If Sookie had been left unaware of his influence in her life until vampires were out of the coffin, perhaps he would not have been made to lie in wait for so long, giving Sookie the opportunity to build up some romanticized vision of him that needed to be squashed. That, after all, was where her hesitation manifested. Her mind was conflicted between what she thought he was, and what she was coming to realize what he truly is.

Sookie had thought of him as her guardian angel, but had come to find that he was her demon guard.

Turning his back to the ground in midair, Eric stared up into the dark, lonely sky. The stars offered no solace or answers. Instead they twinkled down at him in false merriment.

Perhaps the problem did not lie in Sookie's inability to believe he was telling her the truth. Maybe it was the truths he had not explained. Mostly the truths about why he wanted to be with her, not why he would not use her. After all, what could Sookie think? Finding out her protector was a vampire roped into watching out for her the rest of her life because he had killed the wrong person would not be the most comforting thing for her to discover.

Eric thought deeply as he continued his leisurely flight back to his residence. He considered the possibility that the one he protected needed to know _why_ he wanted her. Of course she would question his intentions, why should she not? The Viking had hidden on the peripheral of her existence for half a decade now, not so much as letting her know who he really was, let alone how his not-so-subtle obsession with her had come to exist.

Being completely honest with himself, Eric admitted that it was her softness that had drawn him in. Of course she was beautiful, but Eric had fucked more than a fair share of the most beautiful women in history. Beauty was a fine thing to behold, but most of those glamorous females had been hard and spiteful. Easily and thankfully forgotten after he had his way with them. Some had been extremely pleasurable to lie with, until they opened their mouths afterwards and spewed out superficial crap that made him want to leave and not even waste the time to put his clothes back on. There had been a few beauties that were not so malicious, but had been air headed and naïve in the worst of ways. Then there were the ones that would cling or want him for little more than the great sex and his money.

Eric had thought he had found his partner in crime when he turned Pam, and mostly- that was true. But Eric loved Pam in a way that was strangely fraternal, despite the decades they had been lovers. It had not been Pam's greater interest in women that had kept their love for one another so placid, but something deeper. They did not _grow_ when they were with one another. They loved each other, dearly, would die for one another, but their time together did not make them better or worse than what they were, only more the same.

When Eric's obsession with Sookie began to come into being, it was because watching her awakened something in him. Something that wanted to be more than what he was. And he wanted to be that for her. He wanted to be more fierce, to better to protect her. To be more possessive, to prove that she was not some indulgence, but a need. He wanted to be more honest, even if it was only with her.

That was it. It was not just her softness or kind nature, it was her _morality_. The way she would speak to the bar patrons like old friends, and despite what ever it was that she heard in their heads, he never once saw her abuse that ability, even when he thought she should.

Sookie Stackhouse was an honorable, hardworking, and beautiful woman. How could any man, alive or dead, not be drawn to that? Of course she was naïve, but not in the pitiful way that Eric detested. Her naivety was about herself, not the world, or those who lived in that world. The woman could not measure her worth, and saw herself as far less than she truly was from her years of being thought of as strange and "twitch-ey", as a co-worker's glamoured lips had explained.

There was also that uncontrollable Stackhouse stubbornness that might turn most men off, but Eric found it amusing; even when it caused him grief like tonight. Sookie fought tooth and nail for what she believed until you could prove irrefutably that she was mistaken. Their argument over her stupid actions with the Rattrays displayed that she had a capacity to admit her blunders, and that confession had been gracefully given. That grace was the counterbalance of her stubbornness. Sure, she would argue all night long, but she did not admit defeat begrudgingly. There was genuine acceptance.

Now, what Eric wanted most of all was to show Sookie what she truly was, and what he believed that he could become. He wanted to see that gracious acceptance to her miscalculations of him.

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW, EVERYONE!**

**-ANDI**


	6. Chapter 5

My Angel

_A.N: Since I received such an amazing response in reviews, I said to myself, "Self, why not give them another! You wrote thirteen pages today. They deserve it! Just think how much they waited for a new chapter of __Trouble Maker__ and you went silent for MONTHS-"_

_To which I interrupted and said, "Self, shut the fuck up. I'll give them another fucking chapter."_

_Please enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Five:**

"Hey, Sook," Lafayette waved at the blonde barmaid from his little window at the kitchen of Merlotte's, "what you been doin'?" He quirked a suspicious eyebrow at the woman as an irrepressible blush tinted her cheeks, "And who you been with it at?"

"What in the world are you talking about, Laf!?" Sookie's voice pitched an octave higher and the cook grinned at her wickedly.

"I know you, Sooks, and you ain't never blushed when there wasn't no reason to." He gave her a wolfish wink, "Now, who's the lucky man?"

Sookie grumbled under her breath, "Sometimes I think you're psychic."

"Nah, you just an open book, Sook." Lafayette waved off her accusation, "I know your daydream face, and dat face and dat blush means you rememberin' a _man_!" He let out a heated grunt and gave his shoulders a little wiggle to emphasize, "Now who is it?"

"You wouldn't know him." Sookie played with her ponytail girlishly, "But..." She glanced at her watch and flinched, "Ack, Laf, let me clock in." The blonde hair flipped playfully as Sookie bustled to Sam's office to stow away her bag and punch her card in. When she came back to speak to Lafayette, she came in through the kitchen to whisper to him bashfully, "You're probably the only one I can talk to about a... Conflict I'm trying to resolve with myself. You think we can find some time to talk in private soon?"

"Sure, Sooks, you just let me know when you takin' a break. We'll do girl talk." He gave her butt a pinch before roaring with laughter at her scandalized expression. Still, Sookie nodded and went to the main floor to start taking orders from Sam and patrons, and ignore orders from a rather snippy Arlene.

The red head's boyfriend was encouraging her to stop taking birth control, and Arlene had decided to stop taking it when she ran out at the end of the week. Her mood was particularly short due to the distraction and anxiety of trying for another child, and Sookie gave the other waitress a comforting smile as she passed by.

"Hey, Sookie," Tara called from the bar, and the waitress went over to check in with her childhood friend, "why haven't you called me the last couple of days?" She asked, "You haven't been right since that vamp came in here the other night. He givin' you trouble?"

Sookie grimaced, "Yeah, but it's all taken care of. I've had a lot happening the past couple of days." She admitted reluctantly, "You remember my car accident?" The bartender gave her a "are you stupid" look and Sookie quickly continued, "Well, I found out who actually replaced my car, and it wasn't any insurance company."

Tara snorted, "I coulda told you that! Your piece of shit Nova weren't worth the tires on your new car." Wiping a mug with her drying rag, she asked, "So, who is it? Who's been givin' you a handout? Want me to smack him down? Sookie Stackhouse doesn't need any charity. Everybody knows that."

"Nobody needs a smack down." Sookie chuckled, "My good samaritan... Well, I met him the night Bill Compton first came into the bar."

"That vamp was your _good samaritan_!?" Tara hissed, "Sookie! You stay away from him. Vamps only want one thing... Well, maybe two from a pretty girl!"

"No, not Bill." The blonde shook her head vehemently, "But Bill gave me a lead on the one who actually helped me. He did it by accident, but it still set me in the right direction."

"Ugh!" Tara threw down the towel now, "Stop tiptoeing around the point, Sookie, and tell me what you're getting at!" She demanded.

"The one who's been helping me... The reason I walked away from my car accident without a scratch, is because he's a vampire too." Sookie blanched.

"Sookie!" Tara gasped in fear for her friend.

"I've talked with him a couple of times now..." The barmaid was staring down at her shoes self-consciously, "And, even though he's been pretty forthcoming about his reasons for helping me, I don't trust him."

"And you shouldn't!" Tara howled, drawing the attention of a few of the workmen who were there on lunch. René even went so far as to come over and check things out.

"What you all gettin' in a fluster 'bout over here?" René chuckled, coming for a refill on his beer.

"Sookie's chasing around vampires." Tara snarled.

"I'm doin' no such thing!" Sookie shrieked back, "I just said I don't trust him. What am I suppose to do about a guy walking around in my shadow!" She snapped.

"Call the police." René sounded like this should be the most obvious thing in the world, "Or do you like him payin' you attention like dat?"

Sookie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "You two are no help. I can't just call the police on him, he's been watching out for me, he's even saved my life a couple of times already. In my book, that at least absolves him of incarceration."

"You sure he ain't the one that's put ya in danger?" René asked grumpily.

"Yes, I'm sure." Sookie shot back.

The cajun gave a non-committal shrug and took his beer that Tara refilled. The two women watched him go back to his table, and then the cynical one glared at her friend, "You _sure_ he hasn't been putting you into trouble?"

Sookie shook her head, "I'm sure. The last thing he wants is for anything to happen to me. I don't have any way to explain why, but I'm sure."

"You _hear_ him?" Tara asked suggestively.

"No. I can't. Not Bill Compton either." She gave a pointed look to her friend.

"You should stay away from vamps, Sookie. No good can come from it." Tara wiped down the bar top now.

"I believe you." Sookie nodded and went back to work.

After a few hours of suspicious glances both from Tara and René, Sookie took her break and grabbed Lafayette from the kitchen.

"So, what you all strung out about, Sooks?" Lafayette asked as they went out the back door and he lit up a joint. Sookie stood nonchalantly off to the side to avoid the smoke. "And why ain't you chewin' my cousin's ear off 'bout it?" He took a deep drag off of the joint, holding the smoke in as he waited for Sookie to explain.

"It has to do with vampires, and you're the only one other than my Gran that isn't a bigot about them." Sookie explained. Lafayette waved the smoldering hand as a gesture for her to go ahead, "There's a vampire I met. He's been watching out for me for years. I can't really explain why. The most I can say is that it's because of a debt he's repaying, and there's bad consequences for him if anything happens to me." The man nodded in acceptance and Sookie wondered how he could hold his breath that long, "Well... Most of it all, I've managed to come to terms with, mostly from Gran's help, but," she took a steadying breath, "I can't talk to her about something I haven't come to terms with."

"He's a sexy beast, ain't he?" Lafayette chuckled around his exhale of smoke.

"Yes!" She moaned forlornly, "Like, the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my entire life. Even magazines don't come close!" the man was laughing at her predicament, "But he seems like a hard dog to keep on the porch, you know?"

"I hear ya, Sooks." Lafayette nodded, taking another drag. "So, you don't wanna give him nothin' if he's gonna be sniffin' around, but he's fly as hell, and you want to break a piece off anyway." He was not asking.

Sookie shuffled her foot guiltily, "There are things I know he won't lie to me about, but there are more things he just won't bother telling me if he absolutely doesn't have to."

"And you should thank him for that." The cook told her, "The less you know, the safer you is. And he knows that, is my guess."

"So what do I do?"

"Well, if I was you, I'd be all over his sexy ass, but you ain't me. You a settle down and make a family kinda girl. But just 'cause you wants the white picket fence, don't mean you can't have fun now." He pointed out, "So have some fun."

"Well, we _have_ had _some_ fun..." Sookie blushed at Lafayette's wolf whistle, "But, he says things that make me think that he wants to try and settle down for me, only I'm scared that if I believe him, it's going to kill me when he lets me down."

"That's a love thing, Sooks, and I ain't no love doctor. I'm a funk doctor." He gave his hips a little pump for demonstration. "But you... You give him a chance, and if he lets you down, well... You move on. The world always gonna let you down one way or another, but it can't make up for it if you don't take chances when the universe throws a sweet shot to you, right?"

"And my doubts?" Sookie pressed.

"Hook-ah, you'd be fuckin' stupid not to have doubts, but he can't make you believe in him if you don't give him the benefit first, you hear what I'm sayin'?"

"Yeah, I hear you." Sookie nodded. "Maybe I should just let things ride. Spend time with him like I don't know anything, 'cause I probably don't. Everything I've ever thought I knew just went flying out the window over the last few days, so I'd be pretty stupid to think I know anything about him." She reasoned.

"True dat." Lafayette nodded, carefully stubbing out his joint to head back inside. "You need to talk 'bout him, though, you give my ass a call." He patted her shoulder as he walked past the blonde, and back into the employee entrance. "And bring a picture next time!" He called before the door closed, making her laugh.

Sookie stayed outside for a while longer, staring up at the muggy sky as she got lost in her thoughts. She decided, as her break came to an end, that getting hurt scared her, but missing out on a potentially great experience was more troubling. After all, her entire life she had dreamed of being the beautiful, desirable woman that Eric seemed to see her as. Lord only knew _how_ he saw her as those things, but he seemed to, and a whirlwind romance was too tempting for the lonely woman that she was. A chance to feel normal, even with a vampire, was still an opportunity she longed for. If it was short lived, then at least she could say that it happened, and it could still be real to her, whether it made her grow beyond what she was, or shattered her heart into thousands of little pieces that forced her to advance as she picked up the pieces to glue them all back together. Some shards would be lost forever, and the whole would never quite be the shape it had been formerly. Still, it would be a Godsend to her. It would be a difference in her life, and if whatever it was Eric offered her ended badly, it would be _her_ choice to let it affect her negatively.

Walking back into the bar, Sookie hustled about for the remaining hours of her shift. It was a little after eleven when she was clocked out and heading home for the night. Only, she decided it would not be her last time returning to the farmhouse this night. Instead, she gave a swift kiss to Gran who had waited up for her, and ran upstairs to take a record breaking shower and change into a fitted t-shirt and jean skirt. Slipping on a pair of sandals, she grabbed her purse back up and ran down the stairs.

"Off to Fangtasia?" Gran asked as she put a junkmail envelope into her book as a marker.

"Yeah, Eric and I had a disagreement, and it was my fault... Again." She grimaced as she admitted this, "I want to go apologize and talk. He said he'd leave me alone until I needed him, or until I contacted him, whichever came first." Her expression was guilty as Gran gave her a stern mouthed glare. "I know, stubborn as a mule."

"Always itching for a fight. Just like your brother." Gran agreed, "Do you want me to wait up for you?"

"No, I don't work until 4 tomorrow afternoon, so I'll probably be out late." Sookie told her.

"Okay, Sweetheart. Drive safely, and if you're out too late, just get a motel room. Don't try and drive home tired. You will always find me!" Gran stood from the kitchen table and kissed Sookie's cheek before heading for her bedroom.

"_You will always find me."_

Sookie paused at the kitchen door as she watched Gran's back disappear. It had been a long time since the young woman had heard that departing statement. Nearly as long as her parents had been deceased. She remembered Gran always saying it when she stayed the weekend, and would leave to go back home with her parents on Sunday night. _"You will always find me."_

Never was it followed with a "here" or "there" or any place specific. Just, _"You will always find me."_

Sookie was in her car and driving towards Shreveport after her moment of nostalgia. As she drove, the barmaid realized that Eric knew that she was coming. He would be able to feel her presence growing closer. Her hands clenched on the steering wheel as she thought about his smug smirk that she could not even manage going a day without seeing him.

When the telepath pulled into the Fangtasia parking lot, she saw Pam at the door, looking at her car and smirking. Apparently Eric had put her out front to greet her.

"Good evening, Sookie." Pam looked far too entertained for Sookie's liking, "Eric told me to have you go straight to his office when you arrived. You may enter through the back and park there."

Sookie huffed and went back to her car to pull around the rear of the former warehouse. She slammed her car door behind her as she stomped into the back, down the hall and flung Eric's office door open, "Hey." She grunted at the blond Viking that loomed behind the desk.

"Hey?" Eric raised his eyebrows at her greeting, "And here I was expecting a warmer greeting."

"Y'know, just because you can feel me coming, doesn't mean you have to be all... Presumptuous about it."

"Presumptuous?" Eric folded his hands in front of himself, resting them on his desk.

"Yeah, making me go around back, making sure no one sees me inside the club, setting your minion out front to watch for me and herd me whichever way you find most convenient for you." Sookie crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm sorry my clothes don't fit your club's theme."

"That is not why I had you come back here straight away." Eric gestured to the chair across from his desk, "Would you like to take a seat?" He asked.

"No."

"All right, then continue standing." Eric shrugged.

Sookie stood silently as Eric continued to watch her expectantly, "Well?"

"Well?"

"You're not going to say anything to me? Like, 'Ms. Stackhouse, what has you here at such a late hour?', or maybe, 'Now what trouble have you gotten yourself into, Sookie?', or my absolute favorite, 'What?'" Sookie was shocked when Eric laughed.

"I thought you might have had something you wished to say to me, and that I would be better off letting you get to it in your own time." Eric was still chuckling at the way her voice deepened when she tried imitating him. "That is why I had Pam send you back here directly. If you had something of importance to speak of, I did not wish for you to have to find me in the club, or shout over the music. We would have ended up in here ultimately, I merely decided to cut to the point. Now," he leaned back against his chair, "what can I do for you, Lover?"

Sookie did not like what that term of endearment did to her. It made her knees weak, and a distance North of there throb. It just was not fair what his words and voice alone could do to her.

Letting out a slow breath, Sookie finally asked what she needed to hear, "Okay, without any tricky words, or speaking in so many circles that I can't tell what you've actually said... Tell me what it is you want from me. Completely separate from your obligations as my protector."

Eric stared at her for a long moment, as if he were sizing her up, "First off-"

"No, please, no first offs. Just say it quick, in as few words as possible. When you start with the "first offs", I get completely dazed by your voice and miss half of it. So just say it."

"I want you." Eric told her, "I do not want another to touch you, or stand too close to you, or hear your secrets. I want all of you to be mine. I want your dreams, your sweetness, your stubbornness, and your touch. I want everything and anything of yourself that you will give me."

Sookie was frozen in place at his cadence. Was it really that easy to get Eric Northman to tell her what she wanted to know?

"Yes or no," Sookie began slowly. "Would you give me those things back in return?"

"Yes." Eric whispered.

"Why?"

"It was my role as your protector that gave me the chance to see you as more than what I usually see humans as. I had to watch you, not touching, not speaking, for _years_. You were pleasant to look at, and at first, it was just a benefit of such a, mostly, boring job. Then, I started listening to you, again out of boredom. Once I started listening, I wanted to touch you, and know you. I wanted you to know me." Eric rose from his desk, slowly closing the distance between them, "In reality, my obligation to you is what let me realize that you were so much more than a meal and fuck." Sookie blanched at that description, but Eric did not seem to regret the admittance, "I entertained that on several occasions, actually. Glamouring you to give me your blood and body at my desire, but I did not. If you ever came to know me, I wanted to be able to refrain from lying to you, and I knew that eventually you would ask if I ever glamoured you. I wanted to be able to say no, and for that answer to be an honest one. I never want to have to lie to you Sookie." He told her. "There are secrets that I have that I cannot tell you, because they are not mine alone to tell, but everything that I am, that makes me who I am is yours to know if you ask."

"What if I'm scared of the answer?" She asked quietly.

Eric stood right beside her now. He did not put his arms around her, or offer any physical assurance, "Then do not ask."

Looking away from the giant vampire, Sookie hugged herself a little tighter, "I really should know the answers to some of the things that scare me... Like, I was scared to know what you really want from me, and whether what you said is true or not- I have no reason to believe you'd lie to me. As a matter of fact, going by past history, you've shown that you're more likely to be straight forward with me than anyone I've ever met. Even my own Gran didn't tell me stuff that I had a right to know, and I still trust her without a single doubt... So why is it so hard for me to trust you?" She spun around to stare into his eyes, "Why am I scared to let you in?"

"How many people do you trust?" Eric asked.

"Four. My Gran, Lafayette, Tara, and my brother... Well, I trust him not to get me killed, not so much to remember things I tell him or be on time for anything. I trust that he loves me, though."

"And how long have you known those people."

"My entire life."

"And how many people in that shitty town have you known all of your life?"

"Gosh, almost all of them." Sookie realized.

"So out of hundreds of people that you have known all of your life, you trust four of them." He stated, not asked.

"I guess so." She mumbled.

"Why do you wonder why you cannot trust me after only four evenings?" He brushed a stray lock of golden hair from her face so that he could look into her eyes.

"Because," Sookie stared up at the clear blue orbs that had questioned her as much as his voice, "I _really_ really want to."

"Trust will come in time." He assured, "Have you ever had a partner, Sookie?"

"Like... Sexual?" Sookie looked indignant.

Eric laughed, "No," he already knew the answer to that, "I mean someone who always had your back, someone you would run to whenever you needed help, or would just seem to be by your side when you needed them. Not your grandmother." He added at the end.

Sookie thought long and hard. Gran really was the only person that fit the bill. She remembered Jason always ditching her to hang out with his friends, not bothering to ask what had happened when he came home and saw that she had a black eye and gum in her hair.

Sookie thought about Tara, whom she loved dearly, but who seemed self-righteous in her cynicism and hatred. Her girlfriend always seemed to think that she was right, and Sookie was a naïve little girl who only wanted to see the best in people. Tara loved her, but rarely took her side, especially where Sookie's brother was concerned.

Lafayette, well he was a tough one. True, she had always known him, but it had not been until she started working at Merlotte's that she actually began socializing with him. She liked him a whole lot, but she also knew that hanging out with the cook out of work invited all sorts of dangers. Sookie knew that he was no innocent, but at least he stood up for her, maybe even prodded her when she needed it. Still, she would not say that he went out of his way to assist her. More that, if he was there when bad stuff was going down, he would help her, but not come for her if she called for him.

"I don't think so." Sookie was frowning now. "I mean, there's been a lot of times my friends or Jason have had my back in the moment, but I wouldn't really call them "partners", I'd call them, well, _friends_."

"Pam has been my partner for nearly two centuries. Before her, my Maker, Godric, was my partner. He still is in many ways, but he has left me to my own devices for a long time now. I spent a few centuries on my own, without someone to lean on or have lean on me. After the novelty wore off, I created Pam, and she has been my ally ever since." Eric told her.

"Do you love her?" Sookie asked.

"Very much." Eric smiled a smile that Sookie had never seen from him, but it was vaguely familiar to her. A paternal smile, an indulgent little grin that a father has when he thinks of his children being complete nutcases, but how endearing it is to him. "She is my greatest accomplishment in one thousand years, but do not tell her that. Her smugness cannot get any worse, or I might be unable to cope with it as I have grown accustomed." Sookie laughed at that and Eric seemed pleased to have gotten a chuckle out of her. It was far better than the mood she had entered his office with. "I missed seeing your laugh these past few days."

Sookie tilted her head curiously, "How do you mean?"

"Ever since you found me, it seemed as if you had nothing to smile or laugh about. I was beginning to fear that I was the cause of your waning good humor." Eric sighed.

"Well, a lot has happened since I found you." Sookie sat down in the chair opposite his desk, brushing past him nonchalantly, "You can't blame a girl for needing time to acclimate." She shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder distractedly. Eric reveled in the scent the movement left wafting in the air.

"Sookie, last night, when I told your grandmother that you would be safer living in Shreveport... You know that I was entirely serious, yes?" Eric asked her.

Looking down at her palms hesitantly, Sookie replied, "I had a feeling you were." She admitted after a moment, as if fearing that her awareness was an acceptance to the fate, "But, you do realize that living with my Gran isn't just about financial stuff, right? You realize that I _like_ living with her, right?" She asked desperately.

"I am perfectly aware of that." Eric nodded, "But your safety is what matters most to me, even if it causes you or your grandmother annoyances. You are free to be in Bon Temps during the days. I can hire Weres to watch out for you there, but I would prefer if during the evenings you were closer to me. Perhaps you would like a job at Fangtasia? I can think of several jobs a telepath would be extremely useful for." He added.

"Stop, just slow down, okay?" Sookie held her hands up to emphasize her need for sedation on the topic, "You've gone five years without needing this of me, now all the sudden you're acting like it has to be _right now_."

Eric leaned against his desk, staring at her with a sideways glance, "Compton was sent after you. Someone sent him after you. If you are known of, then you are no longer safe away from me. You did not have Weres watching over you during the day, either, but you will very soon. Once I can obtain a reasonable guard."

"Wheres? What are you talking about? What's a "where" guard? Like, a guard that's "where I am"?" Sookie asked with annoyance.

Eric balked at her lack of knowledge, "You work for a Shifter and you do not know what a Were is?"

"Shifter?"

Eric swore under his breath, "I did not know you were so... Uninformed."

"What are Shifters and what are "where I am" guards?" She demanded.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Eric told her patiently, "First of all, it is not "where" as in, where something is. It is Were, as in werewolf." He saw Sookie's shocked expression and continued, "Yes, werewolves exist. We also call them two-natured. Another branch of the two-natured is a Shifter, which, unlike a Were, can transform into any animal that they have recently come in contact with. Weres can only turn into a single animal."

"A wolf." Sookie nodded in presumed understanding.

"No, the animal they transform into is entirely determined by their linage. There are Werewolves, were panthers, were tigers, but only the wolves are referred to by Were alone." Eric explained, "Shifters are not any sort of were because they do not turn into a single animal. They have a favored transformation, but are not limited to it alone."

"And you said I work for a Shifter... You're talking about Sam." She realized, and suddenly her boss's strange thought patterns and the red haze that seemed to surround those thoughts began to make sense. So did the random barking she sometimes heard in his head, "He's that old collie that hangs around the bar!" She realized, "Why didn't he tell me!?" She stood up sharply, a flare of anger flashing in her eyes.

"The two-natured are just as secretive as vampires. Since they have not yet come out into the public eye, they are policing themselves much more intensely to avoid detection until they are ready." Eric replied calmly, "Vampires were the first supernaturals to come public since we are, technically immortal. We are much more likely to see a time when we are no longer discriminated against. Weres have an extended longevity in comparison to regular humans, but they are less likely to survive past the point of bigotry and discrimination."

"What kind of discrimination could Weres and Shifters face? I mean, they're more human than vampires, and less likely to be detected. So couldn't they just, you know, do what I do? Pretend they're normal?" She asked.

"Is that fair to them? Is it fair to you, Sookie?" Eric asked. "Do you not wish that you could be who you are 100% of the time? Why should anyone be less than who or what they are or can be?"

"You're a thousand years old and you still haven't learned that life isn't fair?" Sookie raised her eyebrows at him and Eric laughed quite loudly.

"You are young, Sookie, so very young." He reached out to cup her chin, "Just because the world is not fair, does not mean that one must bow to injustice, never raising arms against it. We have bided our time for millenniums. Now our time has come to be part of the world, and fight for our acceptance in it. No longer cringing from society, or being less than what we are in fear of persecution. It could be your time, too. If you stand up with us."

"Eric..." Sookie tilted her chin from his palm as she walked away from the chair, "It's easier for you. There's thousands of vamps. There's just one of me." She looked at him, a pained expression consuming her features, "I don't have anyone to band together with." She told him, "I'm alone."

The vampire smiled at her comfortingly, "You are not alone." He assured, "You may be unique, but even if I do not share your gifts or heritage, I care about what happens to you. As long as someone cares for another, no matter the differences between them, they are never alone."

Sookie smiled at him, but her arms remained crossed in front of her chest self-consciously, "I appreciate that, and I care about what happens to you too. I'm scared of you still, but I _do_ care about you."

"You are right to be scared of me." He nodded to show that he understood that her hesitations with him were reasonable, "You might always be scared of me on some level, I can accept that."

"How do you mean, "on some level"?" She tilted her head.

"Sookie, I am quite capable of damaging you, even on accident. That is one of the dangers of being around vampires. Even one as old as I could grab your arm to pull you from danger and end up ripping it from its socket... Or worse."

"Like... Ripping my arm _off?_" She asked, her eyes going wide.

"It is a possibility, but very unlikely from myself. The circumstances would need to be extremely dire for me to lose _that_ much self control." He assured her.

Sookie nodded as though she understood, and quickly stored away that bit of information. Eric could rip off her arm. So she better not put herself in a situation where that possibility could occur. "Well, I think we came to quite a few understandings tonight." She bobbed her head with a slight enthusiasm, "I think we should leave it here for now before either of us does something to ruin ending this conversation so amicably." Eric laughed at her decision, but Sookie silently reasoned to herself that it would probably be her that ruined something if they continued, "And I'll see you again soon?"

"Do you wish for me to start dropping by again?" He asked, and Sookie was both surprised and excited to hear him so hopeful.

Smiling gently, Sookie nodded, "I'd like that."

Sookie gave a meek wave of her hand before leaving the office and heading back to her car. As she drove home, she rolled down the window to let the wind play with her hair, her hand dancing on the rushing breeze that her speed supplied.

The drive itself was uneventful, and Sookie let herself indulge in a big stretch as she went from her car to the backdoor of her childhood home. Keys jingling as she singled out the one she needed, the blonde had little time to respond as she was steamrolled over, and came to a jumble of limbs on the porch. She could not even get out a scream before a hand clamped over her mouth, and she was then staring into the dark eyes of a predator.

"Don't scream, little mouse." The bald headed vampire growled, "Don't wanna wake the neighbors. You're gonna come back with me to Compton's house. Got it?"

The hand left her mouth, and the first thing Sookie did was scream bloody murder. The vampire looked stunned, and jumped when Gran's bedroom light turned on, followed by the hurried footsteps of the old woman. The sounds of a shotgun being cocked rang from inside the home, and the vampire fled before the grandmother could open the door, exiting, barrel first.

"Sookie, get inside!" She snapped, not daring to take her eyes off of the land before her to take a damage assessment of her granddaughter.

"Sookie-"

The sound of both barrels of the old woman's shotgun thundered into the night, and Sookie looked out into the yard to see Eric grimacing at the blood that tricked from hundreds of wounds from the buckshot.

"It is good that your grandmother is prepared." He grunted, yanking a rather annoying ball baring from his neck and flicking it away, "Get in the house." He commanded, stomping up to the porch, "What happened?"

Sookie scooted past the doorway of the back entrance, scuttling aside to let Eric through, "Uh, uh, a vampire jumped me at the door." She pointed shakily at the door that Eric now entered and slammed behind himself, "H-how did you get here so fast?" She stammered.

"I usually follow you home from your work and now when you go home from Fangtasia." He shrugged, "Why do you think you survived your car accident?"

"O-oh." She stared up at him.

"Mighty fine job you did tonight!" Gran snapped.

"I was only a few seconds behind her. I picked up my speed when she panicked. I did not want her to know that I followed so closely unless I had to." Eric crossed his arms over his chest, the sounds of hundreds of pieces of buckshot raining from the wounds they had inflicted before clattering to the kitchen floor, "Are you injured, Sookie?" He asked.

"N-no. Maybe a few bruises from the landing, but nothin' else. He didn't try and bite me." Her brow scrunched, "It was weird, though... He told me not to scream and to come with him to Bill's house. Then he let my mouth go. Like I wouldn't scream just 'cause he told me so!" She looked completely baffled.

Eric was frowning deeply now, "Sookie..." He knelt down on the floor, another shower of buckshot with the movement, "May I have your permission to attempt a glamour on you?"

"What? No!" She shoved at him.

"I think you might be immune to it. I want to be certain." He explained.

"Immune?"

"Fairies are immune to glamour." He told her.

"Oh... Well, I guess... For science." She remained sitting on the floor.

Eric smiled, "Give me a kiss." Sookie frowned but leaned in to kiss his cheek, "On the lips." She changed her course and captured his mouth. When Eric tried to deepen it, she pulled away, looking agitated that he would do such a thing in front of her grandmother. "You just kissed me because you wanted to?"

"Well, you asked." She blushed, realizing now that she was suppose to resist.

"But you were not compelled?" Eric asked.

"Well," she glanced at her Gran, her blush deepening.

"Maybe you should ask her to do something she _doesn't_ want to do?" Gran suggested with a chuckle.

Eric grinned up at her, "I think I would have more fun finding out what she _does_ want to do." He laughed. "All right." He squared his shoulders off and gazed into Sookie's eyes, "Sookie, break a plate in the dining room cabinet."

"I absolutely will not! That china's older than Gran!" She snapped.

The vampire smiled, "Yes, she is immune to glamour." He nodded, rising, and holding out a hand to help Sookie from the ground as well.

With a relieved sigh, Gran nodded, "That's good to hear. Well, I'm going back to bed, Sookie. You get everything explained to Mr. Northman." She looked to Eric, "I'm very sorry I shot you, Mr. Northman."

"Please, call me Eric." He smiled at her, "And I am glad that you shot first. Had it not been me, it would have slowed down another attack."

"It couldn't have killed you though, right?" Adele asked worriedly.

"No," Eric lied easily. Buckshot would have only killed him at point blank range anyway, and it would have had to have been both barrels to his heart or head. There was no sense in alarming the Stackhouse matriarch, though. "Rest well, Adele." He smiled at the old woman as she went back to her bedroom.

"Night, Gran." Sookie called after the old woman.

"Good night, Sweetheart." The woman called back.

After a moment, Eric asked, "Describe who attacked you." He insisted once he felt the appropriate amount of time had elapsed.

"Oh, well, he was taller than me by so much." She put her hand above her head a ways, "He was bald, lots of tattoos-"

"That is plenty. I am aware of the vampire you speak of." Eric nodded. "His name is Liam, and he is not even that old. Another vampire, Diane, and he are not even at a centuries age. They took to vampirism with great relish, although, the third member of their nest is much older. He is only in his 500's, however, and of no threat to me."

"That's good to know." Sookie sighed in relief that Eric did not seem in the least bit worried about the development.

"Yes, but, Sookie, I need to begin insisting that you move to Shreveport."

"Ugh, not this again."

"If you were there in the evenings it would be much safer. If you were to take a position at Fangtasia, I can bind you into a contract that would not alert anyone to special favoring of you, either." He explained, "If you are seen as little more than an employee, you will not be viewed as a point of weakness to attack me at."

"So, me working for you would be safer for _you_." Sookie glared.

"It would be safer for both of us." Eric gave a little sigh of exasperation, "If people see you as my weakness, that would increase the attempts on your life. _I_ have enemies too, you realize."

"No!" She gave a feigned gasp of shock, "There are people who don't like you? How could _that_ be!?"

"Smartass." Eric rolled his eyes, but he was still amused. "Will you at least discuss it with your grandmother soon?"

Sookie crossed her arms over her chest as she thought about his, "It can't hurt to talk about it, but her best interest means far more to me than anything else. I can watch out for myself. Gran's getting old-"

"And yet she is the one who saved _you_ tonight." Eric's eyebrows rose infinitesimally as he said this.

"She had a shotgun available." Sookie huffed in reply.

"Perhaps you should start carrying a weapon." He pointed out.

"Well, Gran did teach me and Jason how to shoot when we were kids. I don't have much experience with handguns, but I'm pretty good with them. Just didn't have much reason to be shooting them since we hunted with rifles." The young woman seemed contemplative as she remembered going hunting with her father and brother a couple of times. When she had been in her teens, hunting was the only time Jason spent with her. "Oh my GOD!" Sookie gasped, "What if I've killed a two-natured when I was out hunting! Eric-"

"They would have transformed into humans if they had been killed. You did not run into any dead naked men or women while hunting, did you?" He asked amusedly.

"No... Well, I did, but they weren't shot or dead. Just a couple boys from Hot Shot running 'round naked. Me and Jason thought they was swimming at the river that runs through the forest is all."

"Most of the Hot Shot population is were panther." Eric nodded. "They might have been swimming, but it is more likely they were out play fighting or practicing their hunting."

"Wow." Sookie was realizing why most of the people from that area were difficult to hear like Sam. She was also extremely relieved to hear that she had not accidentally murdered a Shifter or Were.

"And while we are on the subject of Weres, I need to be going. I must activate some day guards for you before sun up." He nodded his head as he turned for the door.

"I'll talk to Gran at breakfast." Sookie promised as she followed him to the door.

"That would be for the best." Eric leaned down and kissed her lips gently before opening the kitchen entrance. "I will call on you tomorrow night. Do you work?"

"Yeah. I'm working the closing shift." Sookie told him.

"I will come visit you at your work, then."

"I look forward to it." Sookie smiled at him as the vampire took off into the air, dissolving into the night sky. There was no way for her to know that he was merely crossing the graveyard, and making a house visit at her neighbor's.

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW, EVERYONE! SHOW ME SOME LOVE AND I'LL SHOW IT RIGHT BACK!**

**-ANDI**


	7. Chapter 6

My Angel

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Chapter six is here, and I hope you're all ready to read! Your reviews have been wonderfully motivating, and I look forward to more! _

_This chapter was written/proof-read/edited/re-written by me, so all errors grammatical/spelling or otherwise are mine and mine alone!_

_ENJOY!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Six: **

Sookie awoke the next morning to the welcoming scent of a hot breakfast waiting for her downstairs. However, despite the nagging her stomach was doing for sustenance, the young woman gave pause to making her descent to the kitchen. She was dreading the conversation ahead. Not because she thought her Gran would be angry, disappointed, or object, but because Sookie knew that she would not.

For nearly the last two decades, this farmhouse had been her home. Her safe haven. The one place she knew she was normal. Not that her telepathy miraculously vanished when she was within its walls, but because her Gran never saw it as any sort of hinderance. The building itself was not what made the farmhouse her home, but the old woman that lived here with her. Desperately, Sookie wanted to try convincing Gran to come with her to Shreveport, but she knew the argument was moot. Adele Stackhouse would never leave this old farm. Never. Not in a million years. She had a plot in the cemetery waiting for her when she passed so that she could still "see" the house when she went to her final rest.

Burying the beginnings of tears into her pillow, Sookie took a moment to collect herself before resigning herself to the fate Gran would prescribe.

"Good morning, Sweetheart." Gran greeted cheerily as she handed her granddaughter a plate of breakfast, as usual, "Did you get everything squared away with Mr. Northman last night?" She asked, sitting across from the younger woman at the table.

"Yes, Gran." Sookie poked half-heartedly at her eggs. There was no point tiptoeing around the topic, "He wants me to move to Shreveport so I can be closer to him if I need help."

"That will be a long drive to Merlotte's." Gran sipped her coffee, not even pausing to digest the move. That sent a pang of despair through the granddaughter. Gran was not even going to try and ask her to stay.

Sookie berated herself momentarily. Eric had told Adele just a few nights ago that he wanted Sookie to move to Shreveport. The whole time Sookie had spent ignoring the request, Gran had spent acclimating to the idea. Now, the old woman had only been waiting for Sookie to bring it up for discussion.

"He offered me a job at Fangtasia. He said if he has an employee contract with me, it would give him a reason to be looking out for me that would be less suspicious. So that Supes don't think he's specifically interested in me, and then won't go after me to get to him. He has enemies too." Sookie was still playing with her meal, unable to eat it even though it looked delicious.

"I'm sure you don't get to be his age without getting a few of those along the way." Gran nodded in understanding, "But they haven't taken him out yet, and he'll definitely not let you get harmed by them."

"Yeah, or else he goes along for the ride to the afterlife." Sookie sighed.

"Oh, hush your mouth." Gran rolled her eyes, "That man cares for you more than just that. We've been over that."

"I know."

"So, why are you making excuses this time?" The old woman demanded in a way only a grandmother could without sounding angry.

"I don't want to leave you." Sookie admitted quietly. "If I pretend he doesn't care about me, it makes it easier to make excuses not to leave."

Gran smiled at the woman she had raised from a little girl, "I don't want you to leave either, Sookie, but you're a grown woman, and you can't stay here forever. I won't be around all that much longer, and you should learn to come to terms with that before it's forced on you. Besides... You will _always_ find me."

"Oh, Gran!" Sookie wailed.

"Hush, Honey. I'm not kicking the bucket any time soon." Gran chuckled, "I feel I could go another twenty years." She winked.

"I want you to." Sookie sniffled.

"I want to, too." Gran assured, "But you'll come to visit and help me around the house when you can. It's not "goodbye", it's "see you later"." She reached across the table to pat Sookie's hand.

"You're right." Sookie sighed.

"I know, Sweetheart. You have to be out there. You have to learn to make the hard decisions by yourself, and to use that brain and gift God gave you." Adele was firm once more, "You also need to learn to follow your heart. You let your gift steal too much from you. Mr. Northman could be just the chance you need to get to listen to the rest of your body." Sookie squirmed. The rest of her body certainly knew what it wanted from Eric, but her brain was recalling every little thing her gift had taught her about men and the way that they thought of her. "So, I suggest you give Sam your two weeks' notice and start looking for an apartment in Shreveport. You should also tell Mr. Northman your decision tonight. I'm sure he could probably help you pick out a good neighborhood to live in."

Sookie nodded slowly in agreement. The discussion was settled.

"I'll go to the grocer's this afternoon and see if they have any spare boxes for you to pack your things up." Gran told her, taking Sookie's untouched plate. It did not take a telepath to know that her granddaughter was not going to be in the mood for a meal any time soon.

"I guess I'll get dressed and go to Sam's place." Sookie was moping all the way up to her room. She decided to shower later before she met Eric, and soon she was sulking out the kitchen door and into her car.

Sam was surprised to see Sookie pulling up to his trailer at 9 AM. The bar did not open until 11, and he knew that his blonde love interest was not working until later that day. "Hey, Cher, what's up?" He called, hooking his thumbs into the waist of his jeans.

"Hey, Sam." Sookie sounded dull and none-too-pleased.

"You okay?" He asked sincerely worried.

"Yeah." She lied half-heartedly, "I'm just coming by to put my two weeks' notice in."

"What? Why!?" He felt his heart crumbling.

"I'm moving to Shreveport." She admitted.

"Why?" His inquiry was pleading.

Sookie blanched. She had not thought that far ahead, "I got a job offer out there, and Gran really wants me to take it so that I finally move out. She says I'm a grown woman and need to learn to get on without her now before time forces me to."

Sam frowned sadly, "Yeah, you ain't never lived away from home." He scuffed his heel into the dirt, "But you're still gonna come around often, right?" He asked.

"Of course! I'm going to come check up on Gran regular, and of course visit with my friends." She added that last part quickly.

"Well, I'll start looking for a replacement. We'll miss you here, Cher." He leaned in and gave her a long, tight hug.

"Hey, it's not "goodbye", it's "see you later"!" She laughed a bit nasally.

"Well, don't leave town without giving me a proper "see you later"!" His hug tightened further, almost to the point of discomfort.

"You know it." She pulled away, wiping a stray tear away. "I'll see you later for my shift." The woman rasped as she scuttled away to her car, thankful that she had done this earlier in the day. If she had waited until just before her shift, she would have been a tearful mess, and there would be no way of keeping it from anyone until the end of the shift. Yes. This was for the best, she decided.

When the blonde returned home, Gran was flitting about the house looking for anything she knew belonged to her granddaughter. Her plan was to put everything in the spare bedroom as they decided what would stay and what would go. Not knowing if Sookie would get a furnished apartment, or have to fill it all out herself, the old woman wanted everything prepared for either situation.

"Hey, Gran." Sookie leaned against the arch between the front entrance and the kitchen.

"Oh, Sookie, how did it go with Sam?" Adele asked, wiping her hands on a hand towel to rub off the dust.

Sookie shrugged, "As well as can be expected, I guess." She answered with sadness, "He took it pretty hard, but I gave your reason for my leaving. The last thing I need is to listen to another lecture from him or Tara about consorting with vampires."

"Yes, I suppose that is best, and it was not a lie, either." Gran pointed out, "You really do need this, Sweetheart." She soothed, patting Sookie's cheek like she did when the woman was a young girl and needed reassurance.

"Oh, Gran," Sookie wrapped her arms around the old woman's shoulders as she buried her face into her neck, "I'm really scared." She admitted.

"Don't be scared, Child." Gran crooned, patting her back, "Think of it as a fresh start. No more nonsense about "Crazy Sookie". You get to be whomever you want when you move to Shreveport, just remember how I raised you. Be nice to people, even when what they're thinking makes you want to be anything but nice."

Sookie nodded against her grandmother's neck before pulling back, "I can't believe all the crying I've been doing today!" She wiped away yet another stray tear as she laughed bemusedly at her emotions.

"It's a big step, Dear. Tears are allowed." Gran chuckled.

"I think I'll take a nap before work. I'm going to go see Eric in Shreveport tonight, and I want to be awake enough to deal with him." She chuckled.

"Okay, Sookie. You go do that." Gran smiled warmly as her granddaughter turned and ascended the stairs as if she were heading to a funeral.

{†}

Sookie knew that she was dreaming, and it was one of those rare occasions that the realization did not jar her awake. Instead, she dissolved into the dream wonderingly.

"Do you enjoy dreaming about me, Sookie?" The young woman turned to see Eric standing behind her, a knowing smirk on his face.

"It's safer being around you in my dreams." She admitted, closing the distance and wrapping her arms around him.

"I want you to feel this safe awake." He nuzzled against her cheek, "When will you feel that way?"

Tilting her chin back, Sookie looked into his eyes which were much more ethereal in their blue hue than when she was awake, "I don't know, but I like feeling this way now."

"You could feel this way always." He declared, and gossamer wings erupted from his back to curl about their embracing bodies in a feathery shield.

"Not yet." Sookie murmured, "I believe you love me in my dreams, but not when I'm awake." She told him sadly, "When I _know_ you love me, I'll feel safe."

"It is harder to be your guardian angel when I cannot look away from you. How can I see the danger coming when my eyes burn to not gaze at you?" Eric asked.

Without thinking about what she was saying, Sookie asked back, "How do you know I'm not _your angel_?"

{†}

Sookie jerked awake.

These dreams about Eric were getting far too realistic for her liking. Quickly, before the dream could dissolve, the woman recalled as many elements of the dream as she could. Scrambling out of bed, repeating every bit of the scene as she could over and over in her head, she found a notebook and scribbled everything down to the most minute detail. As she wrote her last words to Eric on the paper, the memory of the dream collapsed, and what appeared, written in her handwriting seemed like a dream from years and years ago. It was a good thing that she had documented it, or else she never would have known the illusion had transpired at all.

Sookie tried picturing Eric with the heavenly wings that she had described from her dream, and the image was particularly appealing to her. After thinking of the vampire as her guardian angel for so long, it was not unreasonable for her to imagine him that way.

"Sookie, dear, you need to get ready for work." Gran called up the stairs, making Sookie blanch. How was she supposed to live on her own when her Gran constantly needed to nudge her awake or in the right direction?

"Thanks, Gran." Sookie replied, putting her journal away before heading off to shower. The young woman was ready for work in just under and hour, which was perfect, since she needed to leave at just that time.

When Sookie arrived back at Merlotte's, Sam gave her a forlorn look from behind the bar. She smiled sympathetically at him as she went towards his office to drop off her purse and clock in. After she had her apron on, Sookie went out to the front, and up to Sam.

"So," Sam asked, his voice raspy with emotion, "what's this job in Shreveport?" He focused his eyes on the glass he was wiping clean.

"It's kind of a security job." Sookie explained, hating that she was about to tell a huge fib.

"You? Security?" Sam gave her a disbelieving look.

"They wanted someone unassuming who could go by unnoticed. I just find the people doing bad stuff, and tell one of the muscles to take care of it." She told him smoothly. It was not untrue, but she just prayed Sam did not ask where she was doing this.

"Where is this job?" '_Damn it!'_

"In Shreveport." Sookie told him.

"But _where_?" Sam pressed.

"I'm not supposed to tell." Sookie frowned, "If anyone found out what I was doing at this place, I wouldn't be able to do it affectively."

"Did you just 'privileged information' me?" Sam asked in a disbelieving laugh.

Sookie flinched apologetically, "I guess I did."

"I thought we told each other everything, Sookie..." Sam lost the final shreds of his mirth.

"So did I." She frowned again, remembering that Sam had never told her that he was a Shifter, and still had not. Her boss knew of her telepathy, but he had not been forthcoming about being two-natured. Sookie did not care how secretive they all were. She had been honest with him once she found him trustworthy, but apparently Sam did not have the same confidence in her. The telepath walked away at that thought, leaving Sam at the bar in a confused state.

The evening wore on as though nothing had changed. Sam had chosen not to announce Sookie's two weeks notice unless she did, and not even the other waitresses were aware yet.

"Hey, Sookie." Tara waved as she walked through the door at six o'clock.

"Hi, Tara." Sookie beamed at her friend while subconsciously groaning at the idea of telling Tara about her move.

"Saw Gran at the grocery store today getting a whole heap of boxes. What's that about?" Tara asked of her friend as she tied her apron on and stepped behind the bar to relieve Sam.

Sookie quickly closed the distance between the two of them and whispered urgently, "I'm moving out, and we'll talk about it later. I don't want anyone else knowing just yet." She hissed quietly.

"MO-"

Sookie clamped her hands over Tara's big mouth and shushed her more intensely, "We'll talk about it later. I just found out this morning." Tara's eyes narrowed at her friend, but she clenched her jaw to show she would be quiet, although her eyes demanded they discuss this soon.

Around eight o'clock Sookie found herself eyeing the door every few moments. Eric had said he would come see her at work tonight, but the sun had set nearly a half an hour ago. Now her expectations for him were growing more and more persistent.

"Expecting someone?" Sam asked with a glower as he caught Sookie glance out the window for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"Oh, um..." Sookie flushed, and she saw the muscle of Sam's jaw flex.

"Your Guardian Angel, maybe?" Sam accused.

"You still seein' that vamp, Sookie?" Tara demanded from the bar, overhearing Sam's angry question.

"Tell me how that's the business of either of you?" Sookie snapped at the two of them, her hands planting on her hips as she stared them both down.

"We're just trying to watch out for you, Cher." Sam's voice went from stern to pleading.

"And keep ya from bein' stupid." Tara added.

"I'm not being stupid." Sookie told them meekly, not enjoying the spectators they had invited upon the conversation. The entire bar was watching the argument in rapt fascination, including the road crew and her brother along with them.

Before Sam or Tara could speak, the bar phone rang, and Tara picked it up without looking. "Merlotte's, what do you want?" She snapped into the phone, wanting to get back to her argument. "Yeah, he's here... Yeah, he's here, too..." Tara pulled the receiver a scant inch from her mouth before calling to Sam, "Sam, some guy's on the phone, wants to talk to you. Said his name's Northman?" Sookie's head snapped towards Tara, as did Sam's, "You know him?"

Sam's neck jerked back to Sookie then back to the phone before he closed the distance between himself and Tara and took the phone from her, "Northman, what are you-... What? _What are you talking about?_ No, you're wrong... There's no way... _What_?.. Are you sure? Can you prove it?" Sam turned to look at Sookie and urged her with his eyes to do something. The telepath frowned, not liking entering people's heads, even when they allowed it. However, at the man's insistent gaze, she relented, and took a peek.

What she saw in Sam's head made the waitress take a firmer hold of her tray so as not to drop it. Eric had just informed Sam that he had found out who had murdered Maudette and Dawn. Though the news was unbelievable, the cause for her sudden loss of equilibrium stemmed from the fact that the murderer was sitting just a few tables away from her, talking to her brother.

"We'll see you soon, Northman." Sam said into the phone once he saw the shocked look on Sookie's face.

"Who's Northman?" Tara asked.

"Don't worry about it." Sam muttered before going back to Sookie and grabbing her by the elbow. His voice was hushed as he pulled her into a corner where he could speak without taking his eyes off of René, "Is Eric Northman your _angel?_" He asked quietly, a glimmer of disgust in his eyes.

"Are you a _shifter_?" Sookie retaliated.

"Eric told you about me?" Sam was greatly angered by this.

"By accident." Sookie explained, "He didn't realize I wouldn't be able to tell you were different."

"Do I _sound_ different?" Sam asked.

"Well, you do, but so do all the people from Hot Shot, who I know now are panthers, but I just always thought some people sounded different until Eric told me about Weres and Shifters." Sookie elaborated.

Sam nodded sadly, "That's what you meant earlier when you said you thought we told each other everything." His expression was regretful.

"Past is past." She told him comfortingly. "What's Eric going to do."

"He says there's evidence about what's been happening. So, we'll wait until he gets here, and then we'll call the Sheriff. Eric'll keep him here, and supply the evidence." He explained quickly.

Sookie nodded in understanding, "Should we do anything until then?"

"Just keep René from leaving." Sam encouraged. "I don't care if I'm buying by the end of the night, if a couple free pitchers of beer keeps him here, then that's what we'll do, Sook." Sookie nodded again and the pair separated to do whatever needed to be done. Sam was prepared to physically restrain the man if need be. Who knew what type of "schedule" René's killings were on. For all any of them knew, he could be planning another murder this very evening!

Years of waiting on the road crew had taught Sookie a thing or two about the men's "tells" for when they were planning on calling it a night. Hoyt was playing with his coaster, and René was feeling for his wallet, which was on the bar. Therefore, the barmaid ran behind the bar and filled a fresh pitcher and brought it over to the crew, "Y'all aren't leavin' just yet, are ya?" Sookie beamed at them, "Haulleigh just bought ya another round." She said sweetly, putting the pitcher in front of them.

"I ain't ever said no to free drinks." Jason laughed, "Thanks."

René settled back in, and the pitcher was distributed between the three, Hoyt taking the dregs since he was already quite drunk.

Not halfway through their beers, Eric appeared in the doorway of Merlotte's. He glanced at Sookie, whose eyes turned upon René with apprehension.

"René Lenier?" Eric said as he approached the work crew. The cajun turned in his chair to see whom was calling him as Sam went behind the bar to call the police, as invisible as a ghost. Upon seeing Eric, René's mouth turned into a sneer. "I am Eric Northman, and I have it on good authority, as well as substantial evidence, that you are responsible of the deaths of two members of this community. And might I say, for someone so abhorred at women fucking _corpses_, you seem to enjoy it yourself." Eric smirked at him.

René rose sharply at the accusation, "Just what are you sayin', Deader?" He growled at the vampire.

"I am saying that your sister did not reside in the same area as the rest of the victims, and that you are the only common denominator between her identical murder and the murders of the two women that died in Bon Temps. Now when you give up the murder weapon, I will be happy to present that to your Sheriff."

Sookie heard René's thoughts turn to the belt that was on his waist at that very moment, and her back straightened like a pole. In the shocked silence of the bar, Sookie whispered over and over, "_his belt, his belt, his belt," _like a prayer as her hand shook the tray balancing several beers.

Eric kept his eyes trained at René, whose face was beet red with either anger or fear. Even as he heard Sookie's chanting, and witnessed Sam look at her with astonishment, Eric did not look from René.

"Or are you wearing it right now?" Eric looked at René's belt amusedly, "How convenient." His smirk grew. "I am curious, though. When was your next murder planned?"

"_Tonight_." Sookie's hand shook harder, the amber liquid sloshing over the mugs.

Eric could feel Sookie breathe René's answer as no one other than he and Sam could.

"And who was your next victim going to be?" Eric hissed, somehow malice and excitement shone through his eyes simultaneously.

_Sookie!_

Sookie's tray crashed to the floor loudly, and the entire bar, save Sam and Eric, jumped nearly a foot in the air at the disturbance. Sookie's legs were covered in beer and foam, her feet surrounded by broken glass as she crouched down to start piling the shards onto the tray sobbing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over as her hands shook.

"Sookie, leave it." Eric barked. Shortly after she had been infused with his blood, her body screamed at him to claim her fully by drinking from her. If she cut herself and bled, Eric was becoming less and less certain that he would be able to resist the call for claiming. The incomplete promise shouted like a beacon to him, and the song of her blood became more shrill every day that he resisted the proclamation.

Sam went to her and began picking up the broken glass, pushing Sookie out of the way. It had always been apparent to the Shifter that Bon Temps had some affiliation with vampires. From the second he came to town, he could smell Eric Northman all over it. Of course, until tonight, Sam had never actually met Northman, and therefore never knew _which_ vampire was prowling in the darkness. Regardless, Sookie always smelled the strongest of the vampire, which had lead to him feeling particularly protective of the girl. She seemed unaware of the supernatural, and that only made Sam's concern for her grow. There was a rogue out there taking advantage of her and glamouring her afterwards, from Sam's perspective, and his unease only grew stronger over the years.

However, after Eric's harsh demand that she not clean up the glass, Sam realized something that alarmed him. Eric had never tasted Sookie, but his blood was in her. For whatever reason, Eric was protecting the telepath, but not interacting with her directly. If Eric _had _been taking her blood, then the vampire would not have been so concerned about her bleeding. This was shocking to say the least, since it took several years for a "Song", as the vampires called it, to become so demanding.

"Sookie, you can't get cut." Sam muttered, "Eric's been giving you his blood too long without completing a claim. He won't be able to keep his head if your blood's in the air." The woman was stunned at this, and she looked at Eric for confirmation. There was definite agitation in his dilated eyes, along with a distant yearning.

"Okay." She said quietly, taking several steps away from the broken glass while Sam continued cleaning it up. It did not make sense to her, especially since Eric had saved her from a car accident and the beating she had sustained only a few days ago. The car crash might have been before he was drawn to her blood, but not the near death experience involving the Rattray's!

Everyone in the bar sat quietly, not even daring to whisper as Eric held the man's gaze until Sheriff Dearborn arrived.

"What the _hell_ is goin' on up in here?" Dearborn hollered as he came in, Andy Belfleure on his heels.

Sam rose from the ground, leaving the tray of broken mugs on the floor, "René's the one who killed Maudette and Dawn."

"He admit it?" Dearborn's eyes widened.

"Well, no." Sam scratched the back of his head.

"Over the past few days I have run the names of all new residents of Bon Temps that have arrived in the last five years," Eric began, "René Linier is not this man's name. It was Drew Marshall a few years back. His sister, Cindy Marshall, was murdered with a garotte and her corpse was defiled afterwards. Just as the late Maudette and Dawn were. Drew's belt is the murder weapon. As old as I am, how much do you think I believe in coincidences?"

"I'll check that information." The Sheriff grunted as he jerked his head to Andy, signaling the detective to put the suspect in handcuffs. Jason was sitting stunned not too far from René as Andy sneered at him.

Jason erupted, "René how the fuck could you do this to me?!"

"I didn't frame you, you dumb hick." The murderer snapped, his cajun accent dissolving instantly, "You was just a stupid man-whore who kept putting his dick in all the wrong sluts."

"Get him out of here." Dearborn snapped, and Andy hauled the man out of the bar, towards the cruiser.

"Jason, you all right?" Sookie asked her brother sweetly once the sheriff and detective were gone.

"I just don't understand." Jason shook his head.

"Stackhouse." Eric's eyes were suspicious slits as he looked at Jason. "Follow me outside."

"Who the hell you think-"

"Now." He growled, his eyes boring into Jason's, and the man nodded as the vampire's glamour took hold, "Follow." He smirked before leading the brother outside.

Sookie followed the pair curiously to the edge of the parking lot, unsure what Eric's sudden interest in her brother was.

"You have had vampire blood recently." He said in a surprisingly calm manner. "Where did you acquire that?"

"Jason?" Sookie looked at her brother aghast.

"From Laf." Jason admitted under the thrall of Eric's glamour.

"Lafayette!?" Sookie's voice was shrill at this discovery.

"How often have you used it, Stackhouse?" Eric demanded.

"Once... Never again." Jason told him, a look of terror on his face.

Eric frowned at that. Most humans could not wait to get a dose of vampire blood again, but he realized with a smirk, "How much did you take?" He had to refrain from laughing.

"A vial." Eric actually laughed at that.

"You will never use it again. If you do, it will likely fall off next time." Eric was still laughing as he made his command. Jason's terrified look grew as his glamour faded. "It was amusing speaking with you, Jason."

"What? How the hell did I get out here?"

"You were angry about René, and stormed out of the bar ranting." Sookie told him distractedly, "Go back in, and I'll get you another beer." She patted his arm as Jason walked past her with a 'thanks'.

Eric sighed as Jason left, and he looked at Sookie, "I am surprised I did not know about Lafayette's dealing. He must be selling to non-locals. I would have noticed the population smelling of our blood by now if he had been."

"What do you think you're going to do?" Sookie demanded.

Eric raised his eyebrows at her, "This is the business of Sheriff, not your Guard. You have no right to know."

Sookie growled at that, "I damn well do!" She shouted at him, "You've got no idea what Lafayette's got to do to keep his life afloat! You've got no idea what it's been like for him growing up around these parts!"

"It is his job to make his life better and do so legally. Not mine." Eric glared at her coldly.

"Oh, and everything you do is legal?" She retaliated.

"By vampire law- yes."

"If y'all came out of the coffin, then you follow human laws now, too!" She stated firmly, "You wanted out, so you're stuck adherin' to everything we do."

"Fine. Shall I call the police on him then?" Eric asked. "After all, he broke human laws."

"Better him in jail than dead in your dungeon." She stomped her foot.

Eric's face turned stoney, and Sookie balked at the sudden shift of expression, "Go back to work, Sookie." He said before taking off into the sky.

"I freakin' hate that he can do that." Sookie grumbled, turning back towards the bar.

**TBC**

**A/N: A LITTLE ABRUPT ON THE ENDING, BUT I HAD TO SOTP THERE OR CHAPTER FIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN EPICALLY LONG! PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW, EVERYONE!**

**-ANDI**


	8. Chapter 7

My Angel

_A.N: Hey, everyone! Coming in with the next chapter, piping hot and just out of the proof-reading oven! Enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Seven:**

Adele sighed when she saw her granddaughter come in from her shift, "What happened this time?" She asked with exasperation.

Sookie pouted as she explained the situation with Lafayette, "I know you're going to agree with him, but-"

"Sookie, I am not going to take his side. Though I don't condone what your friend has been doing, he is still your friend, and I raised you to stick up for your family and the people you care about. That is what you did, and even if it is causing difficulty between you and Mr. Northman, I am proud of you." She smiled at her granddaughter, "But if you will be moving to Shreveport soon-"

"Oh shoot." Sookie huffed, "I didn't even get to talk to Eric about that. With everything that happened tonight, I just forgot."

"What happened?" Adele asked excitedly, always keen on hearing the latest gossip. Sookie explained the night's events in great detail, leaving her grandmother captivated with every word. "I can't believe René was behind those murders! And his name was Drew something?"

"Drew Marshall." Sookie nodded. "And that means Jason's in the clear. Although, Drew said something that really seemed to shake up Jason before he was taken away."

"What was that?" Adele asked.

"Er... It would be very unladylike for me to repeat it word for word." She said, "But he basically said that he hadn't tried to frame Jason for anything, and it was Jason's own poor judgement in women that got him in trouble in the first place."

Adele frowned, "I suppose that is true."

Sookie nodded in agreement, "But Jason's bad ideas are what make him Jason, I suppose."

A small smile tugged at Gran's lips, "I suppose that's true, too."

There was a long silence between the women before Sookie spoke again, "What should I do about Lafayette and Eric, Gran?" Sookie asked, back to her original topic.

"I don't know, Dear." Adele admitted, "I suppose the most you can do is give Lafayette a heads up."

Sookie nodded, "I already did that. Pretty much the second I was in the bar. I told him that Eric knew about him dealing V... He was so scared, Gran. He knew what a vampire Sheriff was, too, and was practically sick with worry. I told him that running was the worst thing he could do, and to talk to Eric directly. So, I gave him his phone number."

"Sookie, if you've already done something, why did you ask me?" Adele chuckled.

"I mean, what do I do if Eric still does something terrible to Laf?" Sookie moaned.

Another of Adele's knowing smiles dawned her face and she patted Sookie's hand, "I think you'll be surprised at how it turns out. I saw how Mr. Northman is with you, and I know he wants you to be happy."

Sookie nodded in understand, and a tinge of hope lifted in her heart, "I guess I'm going to go to bed. Now we can all sleep a lot sounder knowing there's not a crazy killer on the loose." She smiled slightly.

"I'm going to bed too." Adele nodded, rising from her recliner and following Sookie from the living room.

Sookie was changing out of her work clothes, and had just flung her bra to the side when she caught the reflection of Eric sitting in her window. She jumped a foot in the air as she spun around, covering her breasts, "What the heck, Eric!" She snarled, grabbing at her fallen shirt and holding it firmly to her chest.

"It is nothing I have not seen, and definitely not something I wish to miss." Eric leered at her.

"Eric." She snapped in a warning growl, clutching her shirt tighter to her body. Memories of him pleasuring her on that very bed flooded her thoughts, and she could not repress the blush or arousal.

"You gave Reynold's my number." He said.

"Yeah, so?"

"He told me how he has been acquiring V, and I have told him to cease his dealing. He agreed with groveling and apologies. That is his only warning, Sookie." He told her.

Sookie let out a breath she had been holding since the topic started. "Thank you."

"A young vampire was selling him his blood." Eric shrugged, "I cannot fault your friend for being oblivious to our laws. No matter how aware of them he may have been. He thought since no one was being harmed, that it would not be frowned upon. A youthful mistake, I suppose. I have already dealt with Eddy." At her curious look he added, "The vampire that was selling his blood to your friend. It is more the vampire's fault than the human's in this case."

"Even still." She closed the distance between them and gave him a one armed hug, still clutching her shirt to her chest with the other. As Sookie felt Eric's arms wrap around her waist, his cool hands sliding across the bare skin, she shivered and whispered in his ear, "I'm moving to Shreveport. Gran and I talked about it." Eric nodded against the side of her head, but did not say anything, "I was wondering if you could help find me a place to stay out there?"

"I have just the place for you Miss Stackhouse." He assured, "Are you planning on coming to work at Fangtasia as well?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Like you said, it will keep our situation on the down low." She sighed.

"Which situation are you referring to?" Eric asked quietly.

Sookie frowned and pulled away to look in his eyes, "The protector/protectee situation. What other situation is there?" Eric's eyes drifted over to the bed, making Sookie blush, "Hey, you come into a girl's bedroom in the middle of the night and wake her up the way I woke up with a mad sexy vamp looming in her window, and things _will_ get heated up." She proclaimed indignantly.

"Mad sexy?" He smirked.

The telepath scoffed, "Don't say it like you don't know it's true."

"So you are saying that despite my 'mad sexiness', the only opportunity I have with you is when you are barely conscious?" Eric asked.

"Well, no." Sookie frowned, "Wait, shouldn't this be reversed?"

"Should what be reversed?"

"You," she pointed at Eric, "mad sexy, badass, authoritative vampire. Me," she directed her finger at herself now, "poor, clumsy, stubborn, simpleminded waitress. Shouldn't _I_ be the one trying to get you, and you be the one trying to keep me at an arm's length?"

Eric shook his head, a small smile on his lips, "You are not simpleminded. You are preoccupied. There is a difference." He assured. "Also, you forgot to apply the term 'mad sexy' in your own description." He leaned further into Sookie's room, herding her towards the bed until the backs of her knees hit the mattresses, and she sat down reflexively. Eric knelt in front of her, and Sookie was surprised that his eyes were nearly level with her own, even though he was kneeling. "The sounds I made pass from your beautiful lips the other night were the sexiest I have ever heard. The way you whimpered and clutched at the bedding gave me so much pleasure to witness. And when you were trying to resist coming because you knew you could not be quiet, I wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in you forever."

Sookie's breathing had become fast and shallow as he spoke, and her knees had slowly begun to part. She could feel Eric between her legs now, having slid in during his distracting speech, and he was massaging the insides of her thighs.

"Eric," she whispered, one of her hands settling over his, "please, stop." His eyes darted up to hers and he frowned. "Not here. Not tonight. When I'm in my own place, and I don't have to worry about waking up my grandmother. 'Cause if the other night was any indication: I'm definitely not staying quiet when you get your way." Eric's frown transformed into a grin at that, "Also," Eric's eyes became suspicious, "I'm really mad at myself for being weak and letting you do that stuff to me the other night." She told him, "I was not raised the kinda girl who does stuff like that with a man she hardly knows, and isn't in a committed relationship with."

"Sookie Stackhouse," Eric rumbled low in his chest, "I have been committed to you for the last five years. I have not fucked in the last four of those years. Your body is not a fringe benefit to this situation we are in. I want you because of the honest, beautiful, sweet woman that you are. I hope that you want me for reasons other than sex and as your guard."

"I really like fighting with you." Sookie smirked at him and Eric chuckled lightly.

"Yes, our arguments are quite spectacular." He agreed.

"But, truthfully, I still don't know much about you. Even though your devoted infatuation with me is a huge ego boost, I want to see more sides of you. I want to see the private side of you, not just the Guard, or the club owner, or the Sheriff. I want to see Eric being Eric."

The vampire stared at her for a long time before he realized she was being serious. With a sigh, he said, "Admittedly, when I am not doing any of those things, I am a rather boring individual."

"You said you haven't had sex in the last four years because of me... Was that something that used to fill a lot of your time?" She asked.

Eric nodded his head, "Yes, I enjoy sex immensely, but as I said: I have come to know and understand you over the past five years. I was aware that you were a hopeless romantic, and it would not do me any good for you to discover I had been quite similar to your brother in that regard. Keep in mind that I was not like your brother, but you probably would not have discerned a difference between my actions and his."

"Is four years the longest you've gone without doing it?" She asked curiously. After all, if sex felt anywhere near as good as what Eric had done to her a few nights ago, she could not imagine going without it for very long.

"No. The longest I have gone without sex is about twenty years or so. That was not by my own choice, though." He admitted.

"How could that not have been by choice?" She giggled.

Eric frowned, "You will not like the answer."

"Um... Is it gross?" Sookie wondered if vampires could catch STDs or something as unsavory.

"Not so much gross as unsettling." He replied. At her curious gaze he relented and told her, "I was burned."

"Like, in your... _area_?" Sookie flushed at her inability to refer directly to his crotch.

Eric had to refrain from releasing a booming laugh, "Well, yes, but it was my entire lower half. Normally when a vampire catches fire, we are entirely engulfed in flames. However, true death was not the intention, and my upper half was continuously doused in water to keep me from being completely consumed."

"W-why were you burnt like that? And, when you say entire lower half, how bad were the burns?" Sookie tried to ease the tremble of her lip.

"The burns were cataclysmic. The bone was charred black, and crumbled away when I was moved. As for why... Well, I was not even three hundred at the time, and I was captured by a collective of Warlocks. They wanted to find out the best ways to kill and torture vampires, and also learn what magical properties they could obtain from us." He told her, and Sookie could not help but fling her arms around his neck and hug him tightly. Eric was amused by her actions, partially because it had been well over seven hundred years ago, but mostly because Sookie had finally dropped her shirt that she had been holding in front of her chest like a shield.

"It took twenty years for you to grow your legs back? What happened to you? How did you take care of yourself like that?" She whispered in his ear, her voice pitching with distress.

"Yes, it took twenty years for by body to fully recover. Even after I was intact again, though, I was too weak to do much for myself. My Maker is the one who saved me and took care of me in that time. It had happened shortly after I was much more than a fledgling."

"Your Maker? The vampire that turned you into a vampire?" She guessed. Eric nodded with a pleased smile, "Is your Maker a boy or a girl?"

Eric chuckled at that, "My Maker was a sixteen year old man. Of course, he was much older than he appeared. Even by today's standards, he does not look like any sixteen year old boy you would see. His eyes are far too old for a teenager, and his body too hardened by labor and battle. His name is Godric."

"Does Godric know about me?"

"He does."

"I guess you'd want your dad to know what's going on in the event that you suddenly don't exist in the middle of the day. He'd know that something probably happened to me." Sookie realized, feeling Eric laugh at her reference to Godric as his 'dad'.

"Yes, it was my responsibility to make Godric aware of the conditions of my repayment to Niall."

"How did he take it?" Sookie asked as she gave a bashful squeak and finally pulled her shirt back over her breasts.

"As Godric takes most things- in stride." Eric laughed. "He is concerned for me, of course, but after the first couple of years he has relaxed considerably." Leaning in conspiratorially, he whispered, "That was around the time I became affectionate towards you."

"And when was that?" Sookie leered at him.

"The first time you spoke to me." He smiled gently, "And you invited me to come back even though you had no idea who I was. You were beginning your first year at Merlotte's, and I had been following you for just about a year by then."

"You started liking me because I asked you to come into the bar next time you were around town?" Sookie asked him with disbelief.

"Not exactly. It was that night, but it was not just that night."

"Huh?"

"There were hundreds of tiny little things about you that I discovered I enjoyed that first year, but the night you spoke to me was when all of those little things became who you were to me. That night you became the woman I wanted to protect, not someone I had to protect." He told her softly. "I realized that night, that given the right opportunity, I could have fallen in love at first sight with you."

"Why didn't you?" Sookie asked, feeling shy that she thought she had fallen in love with him the second she met him all those years ago, and she had not even known his name then.

"Because your existence was an irritation to me from the second I learned of it. That is how I know I could have fallen in love with you so easily if we had met under the right circumstances." He laughed. Sookie looked at him curiously, "Because, despite the complications you put me under, and the general danger our connection is to me; none of that matters. I still fell in love with you. If I could do that after all the trouble you have caused, then there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been love struck the instant I saw you in any other scenario."

Sookie smiled at his reasoning as her heart raced from his proclamation, "I think it might have taken me longer to like you." She admitted cheekily with a flash of her tongue between her teeth, "You seem like someone I'd probably think of as arrogant at first glance, and I would have had to get to know you some before hand. The whole "Guardian Angel" idea I had of you made me instantly attracted to you, though."

"Is that so?" Eric smiled softly at her, and Sookie had never seen such a gentle expression on him before.

"Yeah. It was like one of my romance novels." She sighed contemplatively. "But, Eric, I don't know what romantic love feels like." She admitted after a moment, "You can feel me, right? Is this feeling I have what love really is?"

Eric considered her for a moment before saying, "It is the beginnings of it. Right now, I'd call you love struck, not in love."

"Hmm," she hummed to herself thoughtfully, "I've never been that either. I've seen men from a distance that I thought were handsome, but then I would hear their thoughts and all the attraction would vanish."

"Sookie, who was the murderer's next target? It surprised you immensely, and I felt your fear." Eric asked suddenly, jarring the woman from her musings of love. He did not like hearing about her being attracted to other men, even fleetingly, so he had abruptly changed gears.

"Oh," Sookie glanced her eyes away, "it was me. He was going to kill me tonight after my shift." She whispered quietly. "I guess rumors about you and me was enough to make me a target."

Eric's jaw clenched, "I see."

"That reminds me of something, too." Sookie began, "Sam said you can't resist my blood anymore because of some sort of claim..?" She trailed off, hoping for an explanation.

The vampire sighed audibly, "It is extremely uncommon for vampires to give their blood to humans without getting that human's blood in return. It can take a few months for younger vampires to hear the song of that human's blood, but seeing as I am quite older, I was able to resist for over a year. The past several years have been extremely difficult, and after the beating you underwent a few days ago, I cannot assume that I can restrain myself again so soon. That night was the most grueling one I have endured in a long time. I needed four different donors afterwards to control myself again."

"Wait, you were out of control that night?" Sookie looked at him with disbelief.

"You did not notice?" Eric was equally surprised.

"Not at all. I mean you had a real intense look when I first recovered, but you didn't seem all that different." Sookie gave him a suspicious glare, "Are you lying about my blood calling to you?"

"Not at all." He laughed quietly, "If you need confirmation about how out of sorts I was, you may conference with Pam over the matter. She had to monitor me while I fed so as not to kill a donor."

"But she's younger than you, and you made her." Sookie was confused, "How would she have been any help if you wouldn't let go of a human?"

"She silvered me when I had drank the maximum amount of blood from each donor. It was just a touch, and caused me no real damage. It was just enough to distract me until the next meal was in my lap." He explained, making Sookie nod.

"So silver hurts vampires?" Sookie asked.

"Yes." Eric told her, "The sun, fire, beheading, and destroying the heart. Those are our weaknesses."

"So not crosses?" Sookie teased.

"Vampires predate Christ." Eric smirked.

"What about garlic?"

"It is particularly pungent to us, and we would rather not be around it. It is not harmful, physically, but it does weaken our ability to scent things. Since vampires rely heavily on scent, it is quite troublesome to deal with."

"All that has to happen is the heart has to be destroyed? It doesn't have to be driven through with a stake?" Sookie asked.

"Correct, however, if I were shot through the heart with a single bullet, I could recover. Assuming it was not a shrapnel round. Adele's shot gun could have ended me if it had been point blank, double barrel at my heart."

"Oh my goodness!"

"Believe me, it is much harder to do than it sounds. The reason stakes are more commonly used to kill vampires is because it has more of a crushing affect than metal, which is more piercing. As I said, the heart can be pierced, so long as the entire organ is not destroyed."

Sookie shivered as he explained, "Okay, I think I'm done learning about vampire weaknesses."

"Then may we return to the conversation that I was more interested in?" He asked with a wicked glean in his eyes.

"What conversation is that?" Sookie frowned.

"The one regarding our dynamics. I want to know what I have to do to transcend the role of protector and claim the role of lover." He told her in all seriousness, which made Sookie giggle shyly. "The topic embarrasses you?"

"Well, I've never had a man wanting such a thing with me. I mean, sure I've been lusted after, but that doesn't make a girl feel all that special. I don't know what it's like to be wanted for all my quirks and flaws." She admitted.

"Then give me a starting point. Let me have the opening I need to help you discover what it is you need." Eric encouraged her.

Sookie bit her lip thoughtfully, "Okay... Take me on a date. Like, a real, everyday sort of date. Nothing crazy fancy, or upscale. I want to feel like I fit in, and won't feel like I'm out of my league."

"There is no league you could not touch." Eric assured her, "But I will introduce you slowly to the elite so that you might adjust easier."

Sookie rolled her eyes, "Wow, give a man one date, and he's already planning out the long term."

"As I said, I have been obsessing over you for years. Most of this is what I have been considering for quite a while now." He chuckled. "Still, I will take you on a perfectly normal date. How does Wednesday night sound?"

"That sounds fine. I work the lunch shift, so I'll have plenty of time to change and shower before you pick me up." She nodded in agreement.

"All right... And when do you wish to move to Shreveport?" He asked.

"Oh... Right... Um, I guess in two weeks. That'll give me time to pack, and I'm still on the schedule at Merlotte's for the next couple weeks." She explained, "I just gave Sam my two weeks notice this afternoon."

"That gives me plenty of time to have your apartment furnished." Eric nodded.

"Oh! I didn't mean for you to go to that much trouble when I asked for help!" Sookie whined, "I just meant-"

"I know what you wanted, Sookie, but the part of town I would feel the best about you staying in is not something you could afford at this very moment. Of course, once you are working your shifts at Fangtasia, you will afford it very easily, but until then, I will take care of it and your grandmother."

"But-"

"Sookie," Eric smiled at her in that way that made her remember him as an angel, "if you would let me, I would take care of everything for you. You would never have to work, or pay bills, but we are not in a relationship that you would agree to that. As a matter of fact, I do not know that there is any relationship we could have where I could convince you into letting me care for you entirely."

Sookie blushed around a giggle, "Probably not. The housewife thing isn't really my cup of tea."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if I were a mother, I'd probably go for it, but I don't want children." She admitted. At his curious look she added, "With my ability, I don't think I could bare passing it down, and even if I managed to have a child that wasn't a telepath, I'd be able to read his mind. I wouldn't do it to be nosey, but things slip, and everyone needs their secrets. Jason has always been so short with me because I used to hear everything all the time, and I knew all of his secrets when we were younger." She shook her head regretfully, "Even if I managed to never hear my kids' thoughts, they'd always wonder if I really was, and I couldn't stand to have my kids be scared or spiteful towards me."

Eric hugged her tightly, "I am sorry that you feel that way."

Sookie shrugged, "Me too, but at the rate Jason's going, I'll have a niece or nephew sometime, and I'll spoil them rotten. Since they won't have to live with me, maybe I can keep my telepathy a secret from them and have a normal relationship with them."

"You love children." He realized.

"Yeah, I really do." She whispered sadly. "But I can be happy taking care of them from a distance. I don't need to be a mother to be happy." Eric could feel the pain in her as she said this, and knew that to this day, she was still convincing herself.

"What do you want? What will make you happy?" He asked.

Sookie was thoughtful for a moment. In truth, she had never pondered that too far. She was content with her life as it was, and quite happy most of the time. A simple life was enough for her, and to fantasize too much would only make her discontent with her circumstances.

"I don't know. I'm pretty happy as I am." She said. "I guess I'd want to love someone, and have them love me back." A blush rose in her cheeks, "One of those happy, epic romances, like in Disney movies."

Eric laughed, "Disney?"

"Yeah, you ever seen them?"

"I believe I have only seen Snow White, and that was because of its novelty when it first came out." He admitted.

"Oh. My favorite was Beauty and the Beast." She giggled, "Did you ever see that one?"

"No, but I know the story well. Of course there are several adaptations." He said.

"Yeah, I read some of the stories. There was one where the father actually gave the Beast his daughter to get himself out of trouble." She frowned with disapproval, "What kind of dad does that?"

Eric had read a version like that as well, "I do not wish to associate with one that would." He agreed. "Although, in a way, your great grandfather did something not much different. He gave you to me, in a way, even though it was to repay _my _debt and not his. Even still, I can be quite beastly." He chuckled, and Sookie swatted his chest.

"Sometimes you can be a jerk, but I can too. No one can be an angel one hundred percent of the time." She insisted.

Eric laughed lightly at that, "I suppose that is true, but I am more vicious than you know. I wish that you never see that side, but as your protector, you will realize it sooner rather than later."

"Well, I'll just have to deal with it, and if my life is in danger, I won't judge what you have to do to save it." She assured him.

"I hope that is true." He kissed the top of her head. "I suppose that I should be going now." He rose off of the bed and went towards the window."

"Oh! Have you found any Were guards? I just want to know so I don't freak if I'm being followed, or not freak if I shouldn't be followed and I am." She stood sharply.

"They were with you today." He assured.

"What? I didn't even notice..?" She was surprised by this.

"You said you do not hear Weres well, correct? And that you try not to be in others' heads if you can help it?"

"Well, yeah, but I should have noticed someone following me." She pointed out.

"They were transformed through most of the day. Their minds might not be noticeable to you in their wolf forms." He reasoned. "I told them to stay within earshot, but to otherwise leave you alone."

"I see." She frowned, "Well, at least it's not intrusive." She laughed.

Eric smiled, "Yes."

"When will I see you again?" She asked as one of his legs wrapped out of the window.

"I suppose it will be Wednesday as long as you stay out of trouble until then." He smirked.

Sookie glowered playfully at that, "Okay, Wednesday it is."

"Until then." And he was gone.

Sookie sighed as he disappeared and finished changing into her sleep clothes at last. After she had brushed her teeth and hair, she collapsed on her bed in the dark. Tina roamed into her room at some point, snuggling into the woman's side as she stared up at the dark ceiling.

Only five days.

Five days of knowing whom her angel was, and how much her perspective of him had fluctuated. She had gone from whimsically fantasizing over him, to detesting him. Then she had begun to understand him, and now she was quite fond of him once more. Despite his attitude towards her the first time they had officially encountered, Sookie could not fully shake her fascination with Eric.

In five days, her world had changed so much. In five days he had gone from cold and calculating to declaring his love for her. It was not fair, in her opinion, that he had as many years as she had days to come to terms with his feelings. She felt more than a little overwhelmed by his declaration, but not in an entirely negative way. After all, what lonely, hopeless romantic would not love the idea of a man as handsome as Eric Northman to be pining for them?

Perhaps Eric was right, and she had the beginnings of love in her. That seemed reasonable, after spending the same five years as him, longing to know him and thinking about him continually.

She did not feel so silly looking at it from that perspective. She felt less like a love-struck teenager who thought they found their happily-ever-after at fifteen, if only marginally. At the age of twenty-five, she felt like love should not come so easily, or naturally. Sookie had seen far too much betrayal and underhandedness when it came to relationships to fall prey to such an illusion.

With Eric, though, there seemed to be something bigger guiding her to him. Whether it was fate, or just an old Fairy King's intuition, she did not know. Whatever it was, she had an official date with Eric in just two days, and she realized with a soft chuckle, that their first date was exactly a week after they had formally met each other.

"Just go with it, Sookie." She told herself in the darkness, "Try out the relationship thing. Maybe you'll get the happily-ever-after you never knew you could have." She smiled as she turned on her side, curling around Tina, and falling asleep.

**TBC**

**A/N: HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED! PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

**-ANDI**


	9. Chapter 8

My Angel

**Chapter Eight:**

Sookie awoke Tuesday morning, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. She remembered that she had a date with Eric the following night, and that put an extra skip in her step as she came down the stairs.

"My, Sookie, you are glowing this morning!" Gran chuckled, handing her granddaughter her breakfast as she came into the kitchen.

"Eric asked me out on a real date for tomorrow night!" She grinned at her.

"Isn't that exciting?" Gran laughed again, coming to sit across from Sookie, "What are you planning on doing?"

"I don't know. I told him I want an every day, simple date, but I still want it to be a surprise." She dug into her breakfast.

"And what are you doing with your day off today?" Gran asked.

Sookie shrugged, swallowing her first bite before answering, "Well, I want to mow the yard before it gets too hot, and then I figured I'd tan. You got any chores for me today?" Sookie asked.

"Just put the washing out on the line before you go sun bathe." Gran told her, "I'm going to be out in the garden most of the day."

"You bring a water bottle with you, Gran." Sookie reminded her.

"Of course, Dear." Adele reached out to pat the girl's hand reassuringly.

"I guess I'm moving to Shreveport in two weeks, and starting at Fangtasia around then." Sookie sighed, "I talked to Eric a bit about that last night."

"Oh, did he call?" Adele asked.

Sookie refrained from looking too guilty, "Yeah."

"He knows a place for you that you can move into that soon?" Gran was surprised.

"Apparently." Sookie laughed, grateful that Gran did not question her deceit, or did not care.

"That's rather convenient." Gran frowned as she thought about that.

Sookie thought about it too, "Maybe he knows someone who owns an apartment complex?" She reasoned, "He's old and a business owner, so he probably knows a lot of people."

"I suppose that could be true." Gran agreed. "Well, what are you planning on wearing on your date?"

"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. Something cute, but not church clothes."

"No cut offs, that's not proper for a first date." Gran stated firmly.

"Oh, I know. I've been on dates." Sookie smirked.

"Those don't count." Gran smirked, "You were nowhere near this excited about those. You like this man a great deal more than any of your other dates."

"True." Sookie blushed.

"I think you should wear something sweet. How about that cornflower blue dress. The one with the daisies on it? It has a modest cut, but still displays what the good Lord gave you." She winked.

Sookie giggled insanely, "Gran!" She swatted playfully at the old woman, trying to sound scandalized.

"What?" Gran gave her an innocent look, "I may be an old lady, but I'm also a woman. I know how the world works, and I know how men think."

"That's it, no more racy novels for you!" Sookie chuckled as she finished her breakfast and changed into a bikini top and cut offs with her swim bottoms underneath to mow the lawn. When she finished, nearly an hour later, she went to grab the laundry from the washer and hung it outside to dry before dragging out her lawn chair and the battery powered radio from the shed.

Lounging out in the sun, Sookie bobbed her foot to the music as she soaked up more of the sun's rays. By the time she was hot, sweaty, and glowing, Sookie came inside looking like freshly browned toast.

"Goodness, young lady!" Gran laughed, "You got more than enough sun today! You don't want to go on your first date looking like a lobster, do you?" She teased.

Sookie stuck her tongue out at Gran before going up to take a shower and then grab her cell phone to call Tara. After last night's intensity, Sookie did not get to explain to Tara what her move to Shreveport was all about, and decided to do it from the safety of her phone. There was nothing worse than getting a tongue lashing from her best friend _and_ having to hear what she thought as well.

"Hey, Tara." Sookie chimed over the phone when her friend picked up.

"_Sookie, what's up?"_ Tara sounded pleased to hear from her.

"I just wanted to tell you about the move to Shreveport." Sookie explained.

"_Yeah, I wanted to grill you after René got taken away, but I saw how shook up you was from the whole thing."_

"That doesn't sound like you at all." She accused playfully.

"_Hey, I got some sense of decency, you know."_

"Well, I got some things to tell you that you aren't going to like."

"_Aw shit."_

"Yeah." Sookie sighed, "I'm quitting Merlotte's and moving to Shreveport in two weeks. I'm going to work as security for a club. My gift makes me a natural at it, and it pays real good. Gran is pretty insistent that I not use her as a reason to keep myself from having a life." She felt guilty lying, but Tara was _not_ a good secret keeper. Not for her friends, at least. Even Sookie's gift was barely kept private, "I'll be making enough money that I can live in Shreveport, and still take care of Gran financially." She told her.

"_Damn! What the hell do they pay? What kinda club is it? Any other openings? I bet I could be a kick ass bouncer." _Tara laughed.

"I'm not really allowed to say where I'll be working, 'cause I'm sort of undercover at the club. The owner doesn't want too much attention on me, considering what I'll be doing. Sorry, but they don't need any bouncers, or you can bet I'd recommend you!" She laughed. Sookie told herself, mentally, that lying was the only thing she could do. She could not tell anyone the whole truth about Eric, because who would believe she was part fairy royalty, and was under the protective eye of a vampire sheriff? It was easier to lie, and safer for everyone else. When her and Eric had been dating a while, and she knew if their relationship were real or not, she would tell everyone about him. She would never hide her relationship with Eric just because he was a vampire, but given her friends' and brother's volatile tempers, it was better not to piss off any of them without a good reason.

"_You'll come into town regularly, though, right? You're not dropping off the face of the planet?"_ Tara demanded jokingly.

"Yeah, I'll be around plenty to hang with you, Laf, and Gran. I'll stop into Merlotte's often, too." She assured. "And of course you're all welcome to visit me in Shreveport any time!"

"_Okay, Sook. I guess I don't gotta kick your ass then."_ Tara laughed, _"__Hey, what are you doing tomorrow night? I'm off."_

"Oh, I'm sorry, I got plans. With the move coming up, I'll probably be in Shreveport." She knew better than to say she had a date. That was a whole can of worms no one in their right mind would open.

"_At night?"_ Tara was skeptical.

"It was the only time the landlord had available." Sookie was becoming disgusted with herself. It was one thing to stretch the truth here and there, but it was becoming quite apparent that this entire conversation was becoming one yarn she could never un-spin. "The job opening kind of rushed me into the move."

"_Oh, well if you need help packing, just let me know!"_

"Thanks, Tara. I'll talk to you later." Sookie decided to cut the conversation short before she could make herself feel worse about the deceit.

"_Bye, Sook."_

Sookie closed her phone and went to the backyard where Gran was puttering around the garden, "What now?" Gran sighed in exasperation at her granddaughter's solemn expression.

"I just lied my butt off to Tara about the move and my new job." Sookie's lip quivered. "I'm becoming a huge liar!" She felt her eyes stinging. "I've always tried being an honest person, and now I'm just living a big lie."

"Hush now, Sookie." Gran took off her gardening glove and patted Sookie's shoulder, "You know I didn't raise liars."

"I told Tara you were urging me to move to Shreveport for a security job in a club because you didn't want me using you as an excuse not to have a life. I told her I couldn't tell her which club because I'm supposed to be undercover. Then I lied about what I'm doing tomorrow night just so she wouldn't be mad I was going on a date with a vampire." She moped. "The whole talk was a lie!"

"Sookie!" Gran snapped at her, "I _did_ encourage you to move and take that job. You are working a form of security for the club, and I'm certain Eric _would_ want you to be quiet about what you're doing there. None of that was a lie. And as far as your date with Mr. Northman goes, well, I'm sure Tara hasn't told you about all of the men she's gone out with. That is your private business, and not hers. If you and Mr. Northman stay together a good while, do you plan on telling others about your relationship?" She demanded.

"Of course."

"Then unless you keep it a secret and lie about it when it's called into question, then you are not a liar. You are exercising your right to privacy, and that is all. A lady does not flaunt her relationships."

Sookie smiled at her Gran. She always knew how to look at things right. A sudden thought came to Sookie and she asked her Gran carefully, "Gran, what would you think about Tara coming here to live with you? You really shouldn't be in this big house all by yourself, and Tara _really_ needs to get away from her mother." Sookie did not want to say it, but her best friend needed a big intervention as far as matriarchs went.

Gran chuckled, "Well, she did practically grow up here with you and Jason. I suppose, if she doesn't mind living with an old lady, I would love to have her."

Sookie beamed brightly, "I'll talk to her about it at work tomorrow, then." She hugged Gran.

{†}

The next afternoon, Sookie hopped into Merlotte's excitedly, until she saw Arlene at the bar. Slowly, the telepath walked over to her red headed coworker and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Arlene, how you holdin' up, hun?" She asked gently.

Wiping at a few stray tears, Arlene sniffled, "Okay, I guess. I'm just so glad no one got hurt Monday night! But I'm also real glad I wasn't here." She admitted. "I don't know what I would have done if I was here."

Sookie nodded with as much understanding as she could, "Well, you're right. No one got hurt, and no one else will get hurt because of him."

"I'm so sorry about all the trouble this caused your brother. You know if I knew anything I would have turned him in, right?" Arlene asked desperately.

"I know, hun." Sookie leaned in to give Arlene a tight squeeze.

"I left my kids alone with him, Sookie!" The red head wailed in her ear, clinging to Sookie tightly.

"Shh, it's okay. You've talked to them, right? They haven't told you anything bad he did either, right?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, I've talked to them, and they ain't said anything about him doing weird crap when I wasn't around." Arlene took comfort in that realization.

Sookie patted her shoulder comfortingly, "They'll be okay, Arlene."

"Oh, Gawd!" She wailed once again, "Everyone's gonna think I was covering for him, that I knew what he was doin'!" She sobbed.

"Shh, no they won't, and if they do any such thing I'll set 'em straight so quick their heads'll spin!" Sookie gave her another firm hug, "Now, go to the ladies' room and fix yourself back up. You hold your chin up, and don't let anyone make you feel like any of this is your fault."

Arlene sniffled and nodded as she went off to the bathroom to put a cool paper towel over her puffy eyes before fixing her destroyed make-up.

Sookie took to the floor with relish, anticipating her first date with Eric after her shift ended. It was one of Sam's famous short shifts during the lunch rush, and they only happened once a week on the best tip day for the bar. Wednesdays always had the biggest lunch crowd, and the slowest nights, so Sam put four girls in the afternoon from noon until four, and then three night girls from four until midnight. The bar was practically a ghost town after four until six, and then only moderately busy from six until nine.

After that, only the real boozers of Bon Temps were around, and Sam usually sent all but one girl home by ten. Every one of the Merlotte's wait staff pined for the Wednesday lunch shift since it was easy to make a full day's worth of tips in a mere four hours. Of course, that approximation did not include Fridays and Saturdays. However, the Wednesday Lunch Special Shift was part of an extremely tight rotation. If you called off, or switched out the shift, you had to wait until your next turn in the rotation unless someone gave you theirs, which was extremely rare.

"Hey, Sookie," Lafayette flagged his blonde coworker over, "thanks for keeping me outta trouble with that vamp. I owe you one." He reached out the window and cupped her hands tightly, gratefully.

Sookie shook her head, "You're the one who took my advice and called him straight away. I knew you were scared and wanted to run, but I knew it wouldn't help you at all. I'm glad YOU made the right decision. You're not dealing anymore are you?" She asked sternly.

"Well, not _that_, but still a little somethin', y'know?" He winked.

"Lafayette Reynolds." Sookie pursed her lips angrily, "You are too smart, and too sweet a man to be doing this crap. What are you gonna do when it's the police knocking? And don't tell me you got somethin' on the police, 'cause if I'm finding out you blackmail people too, then I'm gonna have Gran yell some sense into you!"

"Daaang, Sooks, you 'bout screamin' some sense into me right now!" Lafayette laughed, "Listen, I'll quit it all, I promise, but I can't take the hit financially right now." Sookie accidentally saw him think about his mother and her medical bills and she patted his hand soothingly.

"Okay, Laf, and you know I'm always here to help if you need me, okay?" She asked.

"Okay, Sooks, you a good girl to have as a friend." He smiled at her, "By the way, even though that vamp scares the shit outta me, I couldn't help noticing that he is one _sexy beast_. He _your_ sexy beast? The one we was talkin' 'bout?" He asked devilishly.

Sookie bit her lip and leaned in to whisper, "Yeah. Don't tell anybody, especially Tara, but I got a date with him tonight. A legit one!"

Lafayette let out a flirty whistle and said, "You go girl." And held out his hand for a high-five, which she enthusiastically gave him.

With everything prepped and ready, Merlotte's opened for lunch, and Arlene, Sookie, Jen, and Melanie were flying about the bar, filling drinks and taking orders. The place was keeping the girls running all afternoon, and by the end of four o'clock, as though Sam had studied the patterns of his bar to mathematical formulas, the floor was dead. All four of the ladies seemed to catch their breaths all at once, and helped the three night shift girls replenish condiments and silverware before leaving for the day.

"Bye, Sookie, thanks for this morning!" Arlene called as she climbed into her car, and Sookie slipped into her own.

"You're welcome, Hun! See you later!" Sookie called back before closing her door, turning over the ignition, and tearing out of the parking lot. She had a little less than four hours to make herself absolutely stunning for her first real date with her Guardian Angel!

Sookie pulled up to the little farmhouse, and skipped in, kissing Gran on the cheek.

"Good tips today, Sookie?" Gran chuckled at her granddaughter's mood.

"Yup!" Sookie grinned, "Need me to do anything before I get in the tub?" She asked, wanting to take extra time shaving her legs and getting them creamy smooth.

"No, Dear." Gran smiled at her, patting her cheek, "I think I'm just about to sit on the porch and rock for a bit with my knitting.

Sookie giggled, "How grandmotherly of you!"

"Hush now." Gran was smiling sweetly at her.

Sookie jogged to the bathroom, quickly stripping out of her work clothes and getting the tub filling. As the water raised, the girl removed all of her old nail polish so she could put on a fresh coat after her bath. After nearly an hour of soaking and shaving, she pulled the plug on the drain and rinsed off with the shower head and washed her hair quickly.

By the time Sookie had dried her hair, redone her nails, put on her clothes, and applied her make-up, it was only half past six, and she had no idea what to do with herself for the next hour and a half before Eric showed up.

Groaning to herself, Sookie puttered around the house, looking for something to occupy her time. Gran was sitting in the living room now, watching a rerun of Murder She Wrote, and cackling at Sookie's frustrated pacing.

"Calm down, Sookie. He'll be here shortly. Read a book or watch the shows with me. There's another episode after this." She pointed at the television.

Sookie fell into the sofa next to Gran, but her knee was jumping anxiously the entire time, making the grandmother place her hand on the bouncing limb time and time again to calm her.

"This is the most anticipation I've seen you get over a date." Adele mused.

"Well," Sookie fiddled with the hem of her dress, "I want it to go nicely. I mean, Eric and I are stuck together a long time, and I don't want it to go badly and for things to be awkward for us if it does." She admitted.

"I see." Gran gave her a knowing smile, "I think it will go wonderfully. I think it will be the best 'first date' any girl has ever had."

"Why do you think that?" Sookie frowned.

"Because he wants it to be, and so do you. That's all that matters, Dear. As long as two people want a night to be wonderful, it doesn't matter what they do. You could take a stroll by the pond, go to a bar or club, maybe sit around just talking. It doesn't matter because whether it's the most elaborate date you've ever heard of, or the simplest one you could easily imagine, it will be magical for two people who enjoy each others' company. Do you enjoy Eric's company?"

"Yeah," she had a bemused smile on her face, "even when we're arguing, I like that he's there to argue with."

Gran gave her a triumphant smile, "There you have it, then. It will be wonderful." She assured.

Time dragged on and on, until at eight on the dot, Sookie could hear a vehicle bumping down their gravel driveway. The girl jumped to her feet, but Adele told her to sit back down so she could answer the door.

"Any shotguns this time?" The women heard Eric bellow from just before the porch steps.

The women laughed and Gran opened the door, "Not this time, but if you bring her back in less than perfect condition, there will be." She teased.

Eric smiled, leaning in to plant a kiss on Adele's cheek, "Good evening, Mrs. Stackhouse."

"Good evening, Mr. Northman."

"Eric, please." He grinned.

"Then it's Gran or Adele to you." She pinched his cheek, and the vampire had to laugh internally at having his cheek pinched like that. It was not uncommon for older folks to forget that he was far older than they could comprehend, and tended to treat him the age his appearance tricked them into seeing.

"Good evening, Gran." He pulled his hand from behind his back and gave her a small bouquet of daisies after plucking one out, "These are for you." He said, "But this," he looked at Sookie who had come to the archway between the living room and the entryway, "is for you. I hope it is simple enough?" Eric closed the distance between himself and Sookie, holding the flower to her nose for her to sniff it. It was a surprisingly sweet scent for a daisy, but before she could comment, the flower was woven behind her ear to caress the side of her face as it rested there.

"It smells very sweet." Sookie commented shyly.

"It is a very soft scent, and apparently I chose well. It matches the pattern of your dress." He chuckled, making Sookie laugh as well.

Gran started ushering the pair out the door after the pleasant exchange, "Okay, shoo, you two! Go have fun!" She demanded before closing the door on their backs.

"Wow," Sookie looked at the large SUV in her driveway, "that's a big car!"

Eric nodded, "Yes, I needed a larger vehicle for tonight. Usually I drive my Corvette, but it was not practical for tonight's event."

Sookie looked at him with playful suspicion, "And what does a man need a big, spacious car for when he takes a lady out for the night?"

"Not what you are thinking, I assure you." He laughed at her train of thought, "Unless she asks very, _very_ nicely.

"Snake!" She swatted his chest, a grin on her face. He took her arm in his, escorting Sookie to the passenger's side and opening the door for her.

Sookie needed help climbing into the tall vehicle, but it was effortless with Eric's assistance. Soon, he was in the seat beside her, and they were rolling out of the driveway.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Sookie asked.

"It is a surprise. You will even have to close your eyes for a bit." He grinned at her.

Sookie let out a huff, but soon became confused as Eric pulled off of the road all together, and they bounced along on the uneven terrain. "Where are we going!?" Sookie yelped as they hit a particularly large bump and she instinctively clutched her bosom to keep herself from toppling out of her dress.

"We are almost there." He assured.

Soon, an old oak came into view, and Eric parked a couple yards from it. "All right, you stay here and close your eyes. No peaking! You have to promise." He told her firmly.

Sookie sighed and covered her eyes without another insistence from Eric. She could hear doors of the vehicle opening and closing in quick succession, and the strangest collection of noises.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Eric asked in a playful voice that made Sookie's heart race.

"Yes." She told him giddily.

"All right, open your eyes."

Sookie pulled her hands from her face and gasped. A large, white sheet was hanging, taut from the branches of the oak and pinned firmly into the ground below. Upon the sheet, she could see the DVD menu of 'Beauty and the Beast' recycling over and over.

"How? What? _How_?" She looked at him in complete wonderment.

"I own a movie projector." He shrugged, "It took a little bit of extra gadgets to adapt my car to run the equipment, but I managed after swapping out some higher fuses. I needed to bring a separate sound system that was battery operated, but other than that, it was simple."

"You made me a drive in theater!" She exclaimed.

"I suppose I did." He laughed. "You said this was your favorite Disney movie, and since I have not seen it, I thought you would be the perfect person to do so with." He stroked her cheek before reaching up to adjust the flower tucked behind her ear. "I brought some wine for you, too, and a bag of that cheese popcorn."

Sookie giggled insanely at that, "You are amazing." She leaned in to kiss him, but Eric stopped her lips with a single finger, "What?"

"I thought it was customary to receive a kiss at the _end_ of a first date?" He chastised.

Sookie leered at him, "You've had your mouth against other parts of me before this first date." She reminded.

"Yes, but you said you wanted traditional."

Sookie sighed while relenting, "I did."

"Then I get my kiss at the end of the date."

"I'm pretty sure you will." She agreed.

"Come out here, I brought a blanket so we could sit on the hood of the car, just like in a real drive in." He laughed, and Sookie had to giggle at his apparent enthusiasm. It was plain to see that he was not faking his own excitement, and that made her heart burst with affection for him. She wondered, as he threw the blanket on the hood of the car, and lifted her from the ground to lie upon it, if this was whom Eric really was. Playful, enthusiastic, and just _fun_ when no one else was looking. The idea that she brought these traits out in him was a wonderful lift to her spirits. It made her wonder how such a thing were possible. After all, she was whiney, argumentative, and probably quite stupid in comparison to him. She decided then and there that she was going to try her hardest to be better for him. All so that she could feel as though she deserved the attention and happiness he brought her.

Eric disappeared another moment and retrieved her wine, which he told her he would not think her less of a lady if she drank straight from the bottle, and the bag of Okie-Dokie he had brought. "Are you ready to start the movie?" He asked once she had situated herself and her snacks.

"Yup!" She beamed at him, and Eric ran around the car getting the stereo and DVD player started. Soon, the sound kicked in, and Sookie jumped a little at the loudness before Eric had slid onto the hood of the car as well. She ate popcorn and sang along under her breath through the first fifteen minutes of the movie, but once Belle was in the castle, Sookie put the food and wine aside and snuggled against Eric. His long arm curled around her body, holding her close to his side as he watched the movie and enjoyed Sookie's reactions through their blood link.

When the movie was over, Sookie stretched and looked at Eric, "So, what did you think?" She asked.

"I enjoyed it, though I am certain it was the company that made it so pleasant." He smirked.

"Does this mean the date is over?" She asked sadly.

Eric shook his head, "It does not need to be." He told her, "Let me pack the equipment back up, and then we will find more to do."

Sookie nodded, and smiled gratefully when Eric jumped off of the hood of the car and lifted her back off. The first thing he did was remove the sheet from the oak, and after he had done so, Sookie wandered over to the tree. She knew it would not take Eric long to take down the set, but she still had an overwhelming urge to climb that old oak. Kicking off her shoes, she reached up to the nearest branch and began hauling herself up the body of the tree.

"Sookie?" Eric called from the ground, looking up at her in confusion.

"Come up here!" She called down to him, and laughed when he levitated his way up to where she was, "Cheater," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"With how tall I am, it probably takes more energy to levitate up here than to climb," he pointed out.

"Still a cheater," she mumbled, making Eric laugh. "You know, Jason and I used to come out this way when we were kids and climb this tree all the time."

"Really?" Eric asked.

"Uh huh. He was always able to climb the highest. I always got too scared I would fall, and rarely got much higher than where I am now." She told him.

"I would never let you fall," Eric told her. "Go ahead. Keep climbing."

Sookie gave him a momentary look of uncertainty, but she eventually got her feet on the branch she was sitting on and began climbing higher. Eric was at her side the entire time, and they climbed so high, that Sookie could feel the branches getting more and more flexible as she went, "I don't think the branches higher than this will hold my weight." She said, and to her surprise and joy, Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and flew with her above the top of the tree. "Ah! Oh my God!" She laughed insanely. "That was the coolest!" She giggled more as Eric took her a bit higher before slowly descending back to the earth. "Gran would be ashamed if she knew I was climbing a tree in a dress!"

"Well, just like drinking from the wine bottle, that will be our secret." Eric winked, still holding her in his arms even after they were back on the ground.

"You know what?" Sookie asked with a lazy smile on her lips.

"What, Sookie?" He mimicked her smile.

"I think we should call this a date."

"What does that mean?" Eric tilted his head curiously. "I thought we were already calling it a date?"

"No, I mean, I think you should take me home now and we call it the end of the date." Sookie explained.

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" He frowned, not feeling any such emotion from her.

"You know that I'm having the time of my life." Sookie laughed, "I just think this is the perfect way to end it. Not all drawn out until I'm too exhausted to go home, lie in bed and just fall asleep remembering how amazing it was." At Eric's large grin, she added, "And I _really _want to give you your 'end of the first date' kiss." She teased.

"I will take you home then, Miss Stackhouse." Eric smiled at her, crouching down to pick up her shoes before lifting Sookie into his arms and carrying her back to the car.

The ride back to the farmhouse was quiet and enjoyable, their hands remained linked the entire time, and Sookie felt like her heart could explode from happiness. Gran had been right. It was the most elaborate, but simplest date she had ever been on. Eric had gone to such great lengths to give her such a quaint experience, and it meant the world to her.

When they arrived at Sookie's home, Eric opened her door and helped her out of the large vehicle before walking her to the kitchen door of the house. As they stood on the back porch, he asked, "Would it be too soon to ask if I may take you out again this Friday?" Eric asked.

"I close at the bar on Friday." She pouted regretfully, "That means I won't be out until around three in the morning."

"I see." Eric sighed, "What would be a good day for you, then, if you wish to go on another date with me, that is?"

"Of course I want another date with you!" She laughed at the idea she would not, "Um, my next day off is Sunday, which is amazing, since I almost always work Sundays!"

"May I pick you up around the same time Sunday night, then?"

"Absolutely, you may!" She grinned up at him, "Is it another surprise date?"

"It could be, unless you had something you wanted to do, or somewhere you wanted to go." He shrugged.

"Hmm, I'll think about it, then, since I have a few days to do so." She could feel her cheeks reddening in anticipation of their goodnight kiss.

"All right, I will call on you tomorrow evening." He said.

"Sounds good." Sookie paused, wondering if she should be the one to lean in for the kiss, or if Eric was done stalling. Before she could ponder further, his lips were against hers, and Sookie reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

The way his tongue seemed to sneak past her lips and tangle with her own had Sookie straining to keep herself from jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. Instead, her right knee bent like some girl from a cheesy romance movie, and she clutched two handfuls of his long, blond hair.

Eric pulled away all too soon for Sookie's liking, and he gazed down at her wondrously, "Thank you for the best first date that I believe I have ever had." He whispered.

"Ditto." Sookie mumbled, still dazed from his kiss.

"Good night, Sookie." He kissed her forehead, and slowly opened the back door for her.

"Good night, Eric. I hope you stop by the bar sometime before Sunday."

"I will do my best." He assured as she stepped through the threshold and the weather door closed between them. The pair stared at each other a long moment before Eric realized she could not break his gaze, so he did it for her, "I will probably stop by Saturday." He told her as he began walking down the porch steps.

"I look forward to it!" She called softly after him and finally shut the door and locked it. "Oh my goodness." She leaned against the door she had just secured and placed a hand over her frantically beating heart. "I think he just ruined me for all of mankind."

**TBC**

**PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 9

My Angel

**Chapter Nine:**

"So," Adele smirked as Sookie came bouncing down to the kitchen the next morning, "how was your date?" Sookie practically squealed as she gave a complete play-by-play of her date. She swooned over every little detail, and Adele could not help but laugh at her granddaughter. "Then you are going out with him again?" She poked fun at Sookie's earlier doubts.

"Oh my goodness, Gran! I can't wait to go out with him again! We're going to have our second date on Sunday!" She told her excitedly, "I want to pick what we do, though, and I want to make it fun for him, but he has such an advantage over me!" She moaned forlornly, "He's had _years_ finding things out about me, and I've only had a few days. Most of those days consisted of us at each others' throats, too."

"Well, you have a few days to get some information out of him, so I suggest you take the opportunity seriously." Gran pointed out, causing Sookie to nod.

"He said he'd call me tonight." Sookie pondered what key topics she should push to get the right information from him.

During her shift at Merlotte's Sookie was skipping around with the brightest smile anyone had ever seen. Lafayette was laughing from the kitchen every time he caught a glimpse of her while Tara just stared at her best friend in complete bafflement.

"Jeez," Tara called to her shortly into the day, "was the apartment that nice?"

"What?" Sookie asked, confused, but was still smiling uncontrollably.

"You went to look at an apartment last night, right?" Tara frowned.

"Actually, I had a date, but I wasn't sure about how it would go," Sookie admitted nervously. "I kinda wanted to keep it to myself until after."

"So, you had a date?" Tara was thoughtful a moment before her mouth slung open. "Was it with that vampire?" She demanded.

"Yes, it was," Sookie nodded, "and I had the best time in the world!"

Tara rolled her eyes, "He probably just hypnotized it into your head."

"That doesn't work on me," Sookie said distractedly, musing over her time with Eric the previous night.

"Really?"

"Really," Sookie sung as she grabbed a pitcher of beer and danced her way back to her customer's table.

Tara left her spot at the bar and went to the kitchen window. "Did you know about Sookie dating a vampire last night?" She demanded haughtily.

"Sure did." Lafayette replied, flipping a line of burgers in quick succession.

"How come she told you and not me!?" Tara snapped.

The cook looked up from the grill and raised an eyebrow at his cousin, "Maybe 'cause you're a hot tempered bigot, and Sookie needed someone who wasn't gonna judge her the entire time."

Tara scowled at that before going back to the bar. When Sookie came back she asked, "So... You had a good time then with that vamp?"

"The best," Sookie assured her.

"Well, then... Tell me all about it," Tara requested begrudgingly, and listened patiently as Sookie gave a detailed accounting of her night in between serving customers. "Wow, sounds like he went through a lot of trouble." Tara was still frowning, although that was the woman's usual expression, and Sookie did not take it to heart. "He treated you good and all that?"

"Yup. After I saw everything all set up, even before the movie started, I tried to kiss him as a thank you, and he wouldn't let me 'cause he said he wanted it to be like a real first date and get his kiss at the end of the night." She glowed.

Tara let out a suffering sigh and said, "Well, as long as he's treatin' ya good and you're happy, I'll leave ya alone about it." She promised.

"Thank you, Tara." Sookie grinned happily, glad that she did not have to hide her relationship from her best friend. The telepath thought it would take a while before she could let her friends know about her and Eric, but after how wonderful the previous night was, she could not wait to let everyone know she was taken.

After another hour of work, Sookie found a moment to talk to Tara again, "So," she began, stepping behind the bar and helping clean glasses, "I was wondering if you might want to move in with Gran after I leave for Shreveport."

"What?" Tara looked at her girlfriend like she had grown a second head. "Why would I do that?"

"You can't afford to live on your own, and you're about one binge drinking weekend away from murdering your ma." Sookie looked at her knowingly.

Tara smirked, "Yeah, I guess you're right, but Gran don't need me keeping all hours of the night. And you know I ain't going to play the good girl like you always did."

"Gran doesn't care about that, I mean, you'll have to watch that mouth of yours around her, but other than that, it's not your ma's place." Sookie nudged.

"True... And Gran really should have someone keepin' an eye on her." She became thoughtful a moment, "Ah, what the hell, it's sounding better and better the more I think about it."

Sookie smiled widely, "Cool! That will take a big load off my mind knowing someone will be in that big house with her."

Tara nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I don't want Gran all by herself either."

"And I'm going to be over lots to help out. So you'll get to see more of me if you're living there than if you're at your ma's." Sookie added.

"That's true too." Tara nudged her friend with her shoulder. "So, you haven't been looking for a place in Shreveport? If you're movin' in two weeks, why are you stalling?"

Sookie shook her head, "Eric's got a place all set up for me."

"Is it _his_ place?" Tara asked slyly.

"Nooo!" Sookie shoved her friend back with a giggle. "I guess he's got friends in the area or something. He said it was an apartment."

"You takin' Tina with you?"

Sookie had not thought about the house cat, but to be honest, Tina was actually Gran's and not hers. The girl pouted as she realized this, "No. Tina is Gran's."

"But you've always had a cat." Tara told her.

"Yeah, but I want a few months to get settled in. Plus, I don't know if my apartment will allow pets." She realized.

"Maybe you should ask tall, blond, and dead."

"I will when I see him," she assured.

"Then look up, Sooks."

Sookie's head snapped up at that and she saw Eric smiling at her from across the bar as he came towards where the girls were chatting.

"Well, I seem to have caught you slacking off at work, Sookie," Eric teased.

Sookie stuck her tongue out at him, "I'm cleaning glasses."

"You seem to be cleaning _a_ glass from what I have noticed the last couple minutes," he jibed right back.

"Smart aleck," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Sookie, ask him," Tara encouraged.

"Ask me what?"

"Oh," Sookie was flustered suddenly, and pulled her hands from the sudsy water to wipe on a nearby towel. "I was wondering if the apartment you found for me allows pets. Cats, to be more specific."

"I will have to ask the building owner."

"Oh, okay."

"Building owner says, 'yes'. Cats are allowed." Eric laughed at her and Tara's gaping jaws.

"Y-you own the apartment complex?" Sookie was surprised.

"I own several, as well as multiple businesses, and private properties. Of course, that is just in this state. If we count world wide... Well, that is a very long list." Eric told her. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go see your future apartment tonight after your shift?"

"Sure!" Sookie felt a jolt of excitement at the prospect.

"I will pick you up in a couple of hours, then. I have some business to attend to tonight before then."

"Okay. I'll see you at eleven," Sookie said before he leaned over the bar and stole a brief kiss from her.

"See you at eleven," he agreed as he pulled away and walked out the door.

"Fine," Tara grumbled after Eric had left the bar.

"Fine, what?" Sookie frowned at her friend.

"I'm on board with you datin' this vamp. Can't say if it were any other I'd be cool with it, but he's hot, rich, and completely easy with you."

"Easy with me?" Sookie asked, even more confused, and now wondering if she should be offended.

"He teases you, but not in a patronizing way. If he was just trying to seduce you, he'd talk all romantic and shit. After the date you described, he doesn't try and buy your affection with jewelry and expensive food. He finds out what you like and enjoy doing." Tara rattled off, "If he's going to the trouble to do all that rather than throwin' money around, then I think he's real about the whole dating you thing," she concluded.

Sookie smiled to herself, "I think so too," she agreed. "We're planning on going out this Sunday, and I think I want to choose what we do this time."

"So, what you got in mind?" Tara asked.

Sookie shrugged with disappointment. "I want to do something fun for him, but I don't really know what he likes," she admitted. "There is this duality to him that I'm not sure how to interpret at all. He's like a cat, I guess. All intense and captivated with the hunt, but unless there's something to do, he'd rather lounge around like a bum rather than look for something to do." She thought a bit more about that, "I just can't tell which is more him: the hunter or the lazy cat?"

{†}

Sookie left Merlotte's at a quarter after eleven to find Eric leaning against her car, his arms crossed over his chest, "Ready to see your new place?" he asked.

"Oh, I was hoping to grab a shower and change," she admitted ruefully. "I smell like fried food, beer and smoke." She crinkled her nose in distaste.

"You could shower at the apartment," he suggested. "There are towels, and I would not object to you wearing one of those for the evening..." He placed his hands on her hips as she drew closer.

Sookie laughed at that. "I would feel a bit uncomfortable with that, Eric," she told him.

"Well, I suppose you could wear clothes." He sighed as if this were a difficult thing for him to agree to.

"And what clothes would I wear?" she asked.

"The ones I put in your closet?" he suggested.

Sookie frowned deeply at that. "Why did you put clothes in my closet?" she asked.

"You needed things to wear to Fangtasia. There should be clothing that would not be in complete conflict with the club, but still be something you would not be uncomfortable wearing," he told her.

"So you bought me work clothes? How did you know what size?"

"Pam is excellent at sizing girls up," Eric laughed. "She is actually the one who picked out the clothes and shoes."

"Shoes too?" Sookie wondered how she felt with him spending this sort of money on her.

"Like I said, I need you to draw as little attention as possible. I do not wish for you to lose the base of your style, but what you wore to my club the night you first found me will attract far too much attention."

"Oh, well, if there's clothes for me to change into, I guess we can go straight there. I'm just going to call Gran and let her know," Sookie said as she took out her cell phone and called her grandmother. Adele was quick to tell her to go ahead and spend the night at the apartment if there was a bed. The old woman would rather have Sookie spend the night there than drive home tired. "Hey, Eric," she said after hanging up with Gran, "is there a bed in the apartment?" Eric raised his eyebrows at that, and Sookie blushed before frantically explaining, "I just meant, if we're there late, I might as well spend the night in Shreveport!"

Eric laughed and nodded, "Yes, there is a bed. It was furnished today, and Pam stocked your closet earlier this evening after running up my credit card."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She gasped, "You didn't have to buy me any-"

"I know, but I wanted to," he smiled. "Shall we head there now? I am interested in experiencing your driving first hand."

Sookie unlocked her car, and sidled into the driver's seat as she watched Eric lean in and push the passenger's seat all the way back, "I never thought I would be in this car," he chuckled as he had very little room to stretch his legs.

"Yeah, it's pretty tiny in comparison to your SUV," she agreed.

"My primary car is much smaller," he pointed out.

They spoke animatedly all the way to Shreveport until Eric had to give her directions to her future apartment complex. When she parked the car, she gave a low whistle at the unassuming building. It was not particularly large, but it was quite homely, and guaranteed a quiet experience with few neighbors.

"This is a cute building," she beamed. "It almost looks like a big house!"

"It was. I had it quartered off. It can house four tenants. Yours is the smaller quarter since you are on your own, and only needed one bedroom." He explained. "However, you get the top floor, which has the best view. The renovations allowed me the opportunity to install an elevator, so you will not need to climb stairs every time."

"That's a plus," she laughed.

"Agreed," he smiled as they both got out of the car and Eric took her up to her new apartment. When they arrived, he opened the door for her before handing Sookie the key, and watched curiously as she explored her future residence.

Sookie looked around the living room and kitchen. There were the necessary appliances as well as a nice coffee maker. No food resided in the pantries or refrigerator yet, but she was thankful that Eric had not done that for her too! Next, she wandered down the hall to the three doors. One was a linen closet, the second was a half bathroom, and the third was the bedroom with an attached bathroom. It was a relief to find that everything was rather standard, and nothing too luxurious. It was quaint, and rather sparse, but she figured that would give her the opportunity to give the apartment her own little touches without clashing with anything Eric had gotten her.

"This is perfect!" She told him, "It will be so much fun making it my own!"

"I thought it might be unsettling if I had it decorated for you. This will be your first time living away from family, and I thought you might want to break it in yourself." Sookie thought it was adorable how uncertain he appeared after his explanation.

"You thought right." Eric gave her a relieved smile. "I never thought I'd see you nervous about anything," Sookie laughed at that smile of his.

"I cannot recall a time when I courted a woman like this," he admitted. "It is a different experience. Seduction and courting are not entirely dissimilar, but enough that I am finding myself floundering."

"What are some of the differences?" Sookie asked.

"Well, courting is considered long-term, where seduction is not usually long lived. Lies are acceptable in seduction, but not in courting. I am a remarkable liar, even for a vampire," he explained. "Regardless of a successful romantic relationship, we are stuck with each other for a very long time, longer if the romantic relationship succeeds."

"How do you mean? What would make it longer?"

Eric paused before confessing, "If you and I were to Bond in the future, I would try and convince you to become a vampire."

Sookie froze at that and turned to look at him. "You'd want to turn me into a vampire? Wouldn't that make me your subordinate like Pam?" she asked.

"Not if we were Bonded. Pam would be subservient to you, but you would be my equal even before turning. A Bonded pair is not about a power struggle; it is about cooperation."

"How do you become Bonded?" Sookie asked, sitting on the couch and patting a cushion for him to join her.

"It requires three mutual blood exchanges. That is why your blood sings to me so strongly. With my blood in you, my body is compelled to claim you. The first exchange instills the claim, the second strengthens the connection, and the third initiates the Bond. Of course, when we are first Bonded, several things happen. Our emotions will be available to one another, meaning we will be able to project our feelings to one another, and influence one another's reactions to an extent. The human half of a Bonded couple sometimes succumbs to hysteria shortly after Bonding because he or she has a difficult time adjusting to the overwhelming nature of vampire emotions. We feel things very intensely, and it can affect the human quite deeply at first."

"And you've never had my blood?" Sookie checked.

"No. I had to be sure that I resisted whenever I possibly could, in the event that there became a time that I could no longer do so. I wanted you to know the possibilities, and the repercussions of a Bond before it could happen accidentally," Eric told her. "Had I been unable to resist after your car accident, and again the night the Rattrays attacked you, then we would be only one mutual exchange away from a Bond, and I could not put you in that position when you hardly knew me."

Sookie pondered all that he had told her before she asked, "Would your ability to resist be easier if you _did_ take my blood? Or is that draw always there?"

"The compulsion to drink from your claimed human is always there, but it is less persistent once a claim has been forged," he admitted.

Sookie nibbled on her bottom lip before tentatively asking, "Well, if doing the claim makes you more level headed, then should we just do it..?" Her uncertainty had already made Eric's mind up for him.

Shaking his head, Eric took one of her hands in his own, "I would rather you give me such a privilege because you wish to, and not because you feel you should." He paused before admitting further, "However, if we were to have sex, I can almost certainly assure that I would be unable to resist the compulsion to bite you."

"You didn't seem to struggle the other night," she swatted at him playfully.

Eric smirked before replying, "Playing is an entirely different mentality. It is arousing for me, naturally, but not quite the same as sex. I can not imagine being able to resist your blood when your body is curled around me in every possible way. When you are making those sweet sounds of yours right in my ear." Eric reached to run his fingertips over her cheek, his eyes on fire.

Her cheeks flushed at his words and she nodded. "Okay, maybe that's third date talk," she teased, and Eric laughed a bit.

"Have you thought about what you want to do for our second date?" he asked with a brightness to his eyes that vanished away the earlier heat and took Sookie's breath away. How had this vampire gone from so cold and distant to so youthful and warm in just a few days?

"Not really, I mean, I have, but nothing really seems right," she admitted. "What are things you like to do?"

"Let me see," Eric pondered for a moment. "I enjoy reading a great deal, the occasional film, sparring-"

"What's sparring?" Sookie asked sweetly. That was new to her, and sounded like date potential.

"Practice fighting. It could be boxing, swordsmanship, martial arts, wrestling," he rattled off. "Any number or combination of self-defense or fighting."

"Oh, I wouldn't be able to do that," she said bemusedly. "The most I know about fighting is kick him really hard in the balls and run away."

Eric chuckled at that. "No, I do not think sparring is a dating activity," he agreed.

They talked for a long while, Eric telling her about a nice little cafe down the street, which she made a note of to grab breakfast at when she woke up the next morning. Eventually Eric had to leave and return to Fangtasia, and Sookie walked him to the door.

"I almost forgot," he snapped his fingers as he turned around at the door. Sookie gave him a curious look and giggled when he wrapped his arm about her waist, "You looked beautiful tonight."

Sookie let out an unladylike snort, "Yeah, sure. Short shorts, a t-shirt and smelling greasy. I'm sure I could be a contender for Miss Louisiana."

"You have always been beautiful to me. Even when I thought of you as the bane to my existence," he leaned in and captured her lips in a slow, languid kiss. Sookie melted into the connection of their lips until he pulled away gently, "I will come see you on Saturday," he promised.

"I can't wait," she grinned before pouting at his back when he left.

Turning into the empty apartment, Sookie let out a sigh. She was wired from talking with Eric, and could not decide what to do with the new energy. Therefore, she found a pad of paper and a pen and began listing all of the things she would need to buy in the next two weeks. By the time she was finished, Sookie was ready for bed, and she grabbed a shower before shaking her head at the toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink. If she did not know any better, Sookie would have thought Eric intended for her to spend the night in the apartment! Then again, she realized, he probably had.

There were no sleeping clothes amongst her new wardrobe, but Sookie found a black slip to wear to bed. As she slid between the covers, the woman melted into the mattress with an indulgent sigh. There could never be a cozier bed than this...

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW! I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU GUYS!**

**-ANDI **


	11. Chapter 10

My Angel

_A.N: The last chapter was so short that I couldn't help but to want to give you another quickly! _

_Okay, a head's up: I took a few liberties in this chapter. Godric's age got changed, (just go with it). I wanted him to be closer to Edgington's age, not for any particular reason, I just did. _

_-Andi_

**Chapter Ten:**

"Welcome back, Dear!" Adele smiled at her granddaughter as she came in through the kitchen door, "Oh, what a lovely dress," she said, although she knew the color scheme was not something Sookie would normally wear.

"Thanks, it's one of my new work outfits," Sookie laughed, turning around to show off the sleek number that was done in black and bright pink. The skirt was shorter than she would normally wear, and obnoxiously fuller, but it was not something she felt out of place in. It would stand out in her wardrobe for certain, but it would pass at Fangtasia without making her feel self-conscious or unseemly.

"Well, you look darling in it," Gran assured. "It is a bit short, though..."

"Yeah, but the short shorts at Merlotte's are much worse!" Sookie laughed and Gran had to agree.

"My goodness! Those shoes!" Gran finally got a look at the four inch, thin heels, "How are you ever going to work in those?"

Sookie giggled at her grandmother's concerns. "Oh, I won't be serving drinks or anything. I'm actually suppose to blend in with the regulars. I don't even think Eric is telling the human staff that I work there."

"I see," Gran nodded. "Just don't go breaking your neck in those."

"I'll be fine."

"Well, your shift at Merlottes starts in a couple hours. Do you need to shower?"

"No, I got a really late shower last night. That bed was like sleeping on a cloud!" She moaned, "I don't know how I'm going to sleep on my old bed tonight."

"A little less than two weeks, and you won't have to," Gran told her. "Did you think about what you want to do with Eric for your date on Sunday?"

Sookie bit her lip as she considered sharing her plans with Gran. "Just tell me if what I thought of sounds totally stupid."

"I'm listening." Gran chuckled.

"Well, a few days ago, Eric said he really enjoyed listening to me talk because he likes my accent so much. He also says that when he's not doing vampire stuff, he mostly likes to read... I kinda thought, maybe I'd pick out a real nice book and we'd sit together somewhere cozy and I'd read to him." Sookie was blushing by the end of her idea, and looked at Gran hesitantly.

"That sounds lovely, Dear, but maybe a bit intimate for a second date?" she hinted. "That sounds more like something you would do after a third date." She wiggled her eyebrows, and Sookie gasped as she caught Gran's meaning. Reading to Eric _in bed_.

"Gran!" Sookie looked playfully scandalized, "Well, I very well can't take him bowling!"

"What about dancing?" Gran suggested.

"I don't know that he likes to dance," Sookie frowned.

Gran cackled, "I'm sure he knows _how_, and if he gets to keep his arms around you all night, that'll be plenty fun enough for him."

Sookie was staring, open mouthed, at her Gran, "Wow! You are being pretty plain about what you expect between us," she could not help but laugh at Adele's blatant remarks.

"Sookie, I have known you all your life," Gran looked at her, a twinkle in her old eyes, "and I've been around a long time before that. You are so smitten with him, that you won't turn back, and I can see he cares greatly for you. I might not have liked his methods in the beginning, but he's done everything he knows to take care of you. I couldn't want much more from the man you fall in love with. So long as he respects you, and loves you; I am going to push you whatever way I have to so you don't screw it up. Because, Sweet Child, you spend too much time in that head of yours." Adele tapped the younger woman's forehead teasingly, and Sookie scrunched her nose playfully in return.

{†}

Sookie spent her shift contemplating over Gran's statement. It was positively true. She was smitten. She was head-over-heels. She was over the moon. She was some other hyperbole that her love struck brain could not come up with!

But she was also terrified. Never in her 25 years had a man made her feel this way. She had no experience, other than those she had accidentally stolen from the heads of others over the years. Most of those memories she had seen were anything but helpful. Some pumped even greater anxiety into her than soothed, and most contradicted others.

_'Maybe it is a good thing. I have no preconceived notions about relationships and how they work. It doesn't seem like Eric's dated in forever, so we'll both be at square one with each other,'_ she thought to herself as she just barely missed knocking a new waitress in the face with a tray as she passed by. _'Tomorrow, I'll ask him to go to a club in Shreveport or something. Dancing does sound nice, and-'_

"Hey, Miss 'Dazed and Confused', where you think you're goin' with that tray?" Lafayette yelled from the kitchen window, and Sookie stopped a mere foot from the front door of the bar, tray still balanced on her hand. She had been so wrapped up in deciding on what to do on her second date that she had nearly walked right out of work to continue her planning!

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was off in my own little world." She tried to laugh it off awkwardly as the table she was supposed to bring the food to waved their napkins at her as if to flag her down. That action actually made her laugh a bit sincerely as she made a beeline for them.

Thankfully, that was her only escape attempt of the evening, and Sookie put her focus back on waiting tables. There were no more incidents from her wandering mind, and the rest of her shift passed by quickly.

"So," Tara linked arms with her best friend as she tried to escape the bar and head home, "how's your new place?"

"Really beautiful view." Sookie began, "Modestly furnished, but not decorated. More than big enough for just me. The bed is so comfy, it's like sleepin' on nothin' at all!"

"You slept there last night?" Tara gawked.

"Yeah, it was so late by the time we got there, and I got a look around. Eric and I talked for a bit, and then he left. I took a shower, and went to bed."

"What? Naked?" Tara laughed at the thought. Sookie rarely took her shorts off at the pond when they went swimming, and the idea of her sleeping nude just seemed hysterical to the bartender.

"No... Well, Eric had someone buy me some clothes."

"Wait... One date and that man's buying you clothes?" Tara looked suspicious.

Sookie sighed, "Okay, the job I got is at Fangtasia. I'm supposed to be watching for illegal activity, drainers, and Fellowship activists. Eric bought me clothes that would keep me under the radar at the club." Sookie explained.

"That's soundin' kinda dangerous, Sook." Tara's voice was making Sookie nervous that her friend would snap any second.

"No one will know what I'm doing, and Eric will be with me the whole time. I'll be perfectly safe." She assured.

"Does he know about your good hearin'?" Tara asked.

"He does, but I can't tell you more about why and how. There's stuff about him I can't explain, not because I don't trust you, but because the things I'd need to tell you... Well, they're not my secrets to be telling. Okay?" Sookie could not keep the pleading tone out of her voice.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Sookie was astounded. Normally her friend hounded every detail of her life out of her.

Tara shrugged, "Okay. Havin' you as a friend, I've had to learn when things wasn't my business to be knowing, even if I had all the answers to pick outta your head. If you went around tellin' me everyone's secrets, I wouldn't be able to trust you as my friend, 'cause you could be tellin' anyone about my deal." The bartender gave her friend a hug, "If you got the real deal outta him, and you know he's gonna protect you, then I trust you. I'm sure you got the info you need to make the right decision on this."

"I do."

"Then okay." Tara nodded, "And remember: anything happens to you 'cause of him, and I got a stake with his name on it." Sookie tried to laugh, but could see the seriousness in Tara's eyes.

{†}

Eric sat on his throne in Fangtasia when he felt a vibration in his pocket. An e-mail icon was displayed on his phone, and the Sheriff opened it with minimal curiosity. It was from the Queen of Louisiana. Eric smirked, he had wondered how long it would take Compton to go crawling back to her. It had actually taken surprisingly longer than he anticipated. After all, Liam's attempt to abduct Sookie had been several days ago, and Eric's insertion to the matter had been so prompt!

~_Northman,_

_I received quite a remarkable story from my Court Procurer, William Compton. It seems you and I are competing for an extremely rare toy. Seeing as I cannot bribe you with money, as you have more of it than I, and I cannot threaten your position, since you do it oh, so well: I would like to suggest a compromise._

_Would you be willing to share your toy with me? Since you have not claimed it properly, you must not want to use it _**all**_ the time, right?_

_We could put a time share on it. I take it for a few weeks. You take it for a few weeks. Does that seem fair?_

_Please respond promptly, so that we may negotiate._

_H.R.H_

_-Sophie Anne LeQlerc_

"Of course." Eric rumbled under his breath as he rose from the dais. Many a fangbanger squealed as he left the platform to head towards his office, signaling Pam. This usually meant he was ready to feed, and every pale body trembled at the thought of becoming his next meal. It was well known that the Master did not fuck his food, but every potential sack of arteries on the floor hoped to become the exception to the rule.

"Yes, Master?" Pam asked as she closed Eric's office door behind herself.

"I received a letter from the queen." He turned his phone towards her, and Pam read it swiftly, "Now it is only a matter of time until she is observed as a weakness of mine."

Pam pondered for a moment, "You could call her an interest of Godric's..? Between yourself and him, Sophie Anne cannot compete, and it will keep her connection to you under the radar." The vampiress had become accustomed to this as of late. It was agitating for Pam to see her calculating Maker flounder over such trite hiccups, but when it came to Sookie Stackhouse, that seemed all he did anymore. His affection for the little fairy hybrid had blinded Eric, and it made Pam feel disgusted. Were it not for the fact that ending the girl would in turn destroy her Maker, Pam would have killed Sookie years ago.

"An excellent plan." Eric agreed and Pam had to resist rolling her eyes. "I will call him now. You may leave." He dismissed her, and Pam turned sharply towards the door.

Dialing his Maker, Eric only waited a moment before it was answered.

"_What can I do for you, my Child?"_ Godric's good natured voice came over the line.

"My Queen is interested in Sookie, and has suggested a joint custody arrangement," Eric chuckled.

"_Ah, so you wish for me to contact Sophie-Anne and tell her that you are grooming the Stackhouse girl for me? That is the plan we discussed several years ago in the event other vampires took interest in her, is it not?"_ Godric laughed. His calculating Child was always years of planning ahead of any other vampire.

"That would be greatly appreciated." Eric smiled to himself.

"_Are you still teasing your Child? It is not nice, Eric." _Godric could not hold back his smile from his voice, _"She will start thinking you have lost your wits."_

"In a way I have, but this is the best opportunity for me to know that Pam thinks as I would. If I were to act this stupid about any other, Pam would just kill the distraction. She cannot kill Sookie, so it is a perfect opportunity to know that she is finally thinking like a tactician, and not a prima donna."

"_Child, __**you**__ were quite the prima donna once. Still are, if my opinion still matters to anyone,"_ Godric snickered over the phone, and Eric's smile grew. _"I will have the queen off your back before the close of the hour. Now,"_ Godric sounded as if he were about to discuss something he was looking forward to, _"How are you and the Stackhouse girl getting along?"_

"Quite a bit of bickering, but she is thawing quickly from the reality check I gave her last week. There was more than a bit of back and forth concerning her trust in my feelings for her, but she has definitely accepted my feelings now."

"_So that lunacy you came up with for a "first date" went well?"_ Godric sounded skeptical.

"She loved it," Eric assured with a chuckle.

Godric sighed, _"I guess you will always be a greater romancer than I."_

Eric snorted, "If it were Adairia, you would have done something just as silly." There was a long silence after his statement, and Eric sighed, "I apologize, Master, but it has been nearly 2500 years. How long can one mourn?"

"_I hope that you may never find out."_ Godric whispered. _"No matter what. If you love this woman the way I love Adairia, you do not let _**anything**_ come between you. I have known the agony of falling in love with a Fae- an ascended fae at that! Gods damned me the day she ascended!"_

"She spoke words of hope, though." Eric encouraged, no longer wishing to condemn his Master's hopes further.

Eric could practically hear Godric shake his head, _"Do not placate me, Child. As you said. 2500 years is quite long to mourn, and a little over a thousand of those years I spent wearing the mantel of Death to fill the void in my heart with the blood and lives of men. But, I found you in that time, and you took the hatred and despair from my wounded heart." _There was another pause before Godric sighed, _"I should contact your Queen. It would be best not to keep her waiting."_

"Thank you, Master." Eric answered before he heard the phone click.

Sighing, the vampire leaned back into his desk chair and stared up at the ceiling. He contemplated for a long time over his Maker's involvement with Adairia, and how he should learn from the older vampire's broken heart.

Adairia, originally, had been a well loved member of the Earth Clan fairies. She had been just a little creature during one of many wars between the vampires and the fae, so young when she met Godric. In all of his years, Godric could never come to harm a child, having been abused so maliciously in his own human childhood. So, when the vampire had come across the little fairy girl, he protected her, and stowed her away safely.

Adairia never forgot his noble actions, and crossed over frequently to the human realm to bring him treasures and tokens of her gratitude. Eventually, as she grew up, the gifts became ones of affection, and soon ones of love. Over the course of three hundred years, Godric managed the impossible. He managed to Bond with a full blooded fairy of Guardian Angel status. Utilizing the favors of several Weres in his debt, Godric had them at his side for the three necessary exchanges to silver him, and keep Godric from killing his love.

After their final blood exchange, Godric no longer needed the Weres to stop himself from killing his Bonded. He could partake in her body and blood without fear of being overwhelmed by the ambrosia beneath her flesh. His love for her and the connection of their Bond kept such tragedies from becoming possible.

They were the most sublime years of his existence. He made love to Adairia endlessly throughout the night, and held her tightly in his dead arms throughout the day.

But their bliss was destroyed when Godric's malevolent master appeared from his past, subdued Godric and murdered his mate. Even to this day, two and a half millenniums later, Eric could still catch a glimpse of terror shining behind Godric's eyes when the memory resurfaced.

On the brink of her death, the Gods took pity on the murdered fairy, whose heart loved so deeply that she challenged the taboo of vampire and fae relations. They allowed her to ascend to the status of full angel before her body could completely shut down, and she was regenerated during her evolution.

Godric screamed to the heavens for centuries when the Gods took her away, and afterwards, spent over a millennium sending as many souls to hell as he could manage.

Eric's recollections were halted as his phone vibrated on the desk, and he saw that another e-mail was awaiting him. Knowing whom it was from, Eric opened it immediately.

_~Northman,_

_I have just been contacted by your Maker, and he has informed me of your responsibilities to the toy you are preparing for him. Please, accept my apologies for attempting to court that which belongs to Godric of Ghal. Had you made me aware sooner, I am certain I could have saved you some of your efforts! Compton is calling back all of his contacts, and has been instructed to uproot from Area 5. Please, extend my continued apologies to Godric of Ghal, and I hope that I have not offended such a renowned ancient._

_H.R.H._

_-Sophie Anne LeQlerc_

Eric could almost laugh at what the general response of vampires was when Godric got involved. As far as North America went, Godric was tied with Russel Edgington for 'Oldest Vampire on the Continent', but neither wished to fight and see who was actually the stronger of the two. Considering the close relationship between the Ghal and Edgington lines, it was never a good idea to offend either.

Even without Eric's impressive Maker, the Viking had made a brutal name for himself that kept more than just those younger than he on edge. The Viking had been known to destroy vampires almost twice his own age, and it was considered not just dangerous, but suicidal to cross him. Many believed Godric had some sort of foresight, having waited until he was exceptionally aged before creating such a progeny. After all, considering the Viking's capable assassination abilities, any vampire much younger than Godric or Edgington would have never been able to subdue such a Child.

Of course, Sophie-Anne was a responsible and well loved ruler. Though she had a rather extensive collection of humans, she was not particularly greedy. Sophie-Anne was sophisticated and smart, and would never allow something as inconsequential as a single human to destroy the relationships she had forged with vampires like Edgington, Godric and Eric. Not to mention, maintaining such a partnership could prove more effective in harnessing a little telepath girl's powers. If Eric or Godric went through the monotony of training, what was assured to be, a promising pet, Sophie-Anne was certain that allowances would be made, and she would have some access to it.

Looking at the clock on his computer, Eric smiled as he realized that in less than twenty-four hours, he would be going on his second date with Sookie. It was a strange thing to consider; the whole dating thing. It was almost amusing, actually, to think that a thousand year old vampire would indulge such a request. Even more amusing was that the one doing the indulging was the Viking, Eric Northman.

Chuckling a bit under his breath, Eric went about going over his Fangtasia emails. What he discovered made his eye twitch with annoyance. A large sum of money was missing from the club's books, and it was not very discretely taken. Five hundred dollars went missing in a single week, and it had not even been inventory, but actual cash! Snorting at the aggravation he felt, Eric called his accountant to obtain better information as to how the money walked out of his club. When the call was ended, there were only three possible culprits. Himself, Pam, and Longshadow. Seeing as Eric had no need to embezzle funds, and Pam delighted in running up his credit cards, that only left one suspect.

Dialing his phone once more, Eric waited as it rang several times, "Good evening, Hot Rain, this is Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5 of Louisiana. I am both the Sheriff and employer of your progeny Long Shadow. Might you have any idea why he has been stealing my money?"

"_That's a bold accusation, Northman,"_ Hot Rain snarled over the phone.

"Unfortunately, he is the only suspect. You see, there are only three individuals who have access to the bar's money. Myself, my progeny, and your Long Shadow. Tell me, which of the three of us is more likely to need the money?" Eric asked silkily, though his underlying venom made Hot Rain's voice tremble.

"_What do you want?" _Hot Rain was no fool as to challenge Northman's detective skills. Whether this was an accurate and sharp edged bluff, or a true statement, it did not matter. Merely being a suspect of the Viking was as good as being caught red handed.

"Full reimbursement, plus twenty percent interest as apology. He is to be out of my area immediately, and never in my presence again. Call him as soon as I hang up the phone, and have him out of my bar in ten minutes, or I will end him." Eric placed the receiver on the cradle, and not ninety seconds later, Pam entered the office, appearing confused.

"Master, Long Shadow just jumped the bar and ran out of the club."

"Yes. He was stealing from me, and I called his Maker, warning him that if Long Shadow was not out of the bar in the next ten minutes, and I was not reimbursed with interest, I would destroy him." Eric shuffled some papers on his desk, "Unless you stole about ten grand from me over the past month?"

"What do I need to steal other than your black card?" Pam asked innocently.

"Which is precisely why I did not bother confronting you." Eric smirked at her, and Pam rolled her eyes. "Everything involving Sophie-Anne has been taken care of."

"That was simple enough." Pam tried to keep the acid out of her voice.

"Yes. Sophie-Anne is a beneficial ally. I would have been gravely disappointed to have terminated such a relationship." Eric replied.

Pam's eyes widened, "You would have gone so far as to perform a coup to protect that _girl_?"

Eric's eyes drifted lazily to his progeny, an amused smirk on his lips, "To keep my own existence? Of course. I would have despised every minute of it, but I will do whatever is necessary to continue existing."

"Then turn the damned brat!" Pam snarled, "Niall said you couldn't force her to turn, but you've been a master of seduction your entire time on this earth! You mean to tell me you couldn't convince the little hybrid to give up mortality!? It doesn't matter after that! Just convince her for now!"

Eric's hands were clasped in front of him as he stared at the woman across the room. The steady gaze unnerved Pam, and she could feel her posture trying to show humility on automatic. Whenever her Maker fixed that stare upon her, it was only natural for the Child to instinctively submit to him. However, for the first time since she had risen above the rank of "fledgling", Pam refused to back down to that look.

"You're in love with her," Pam accused in a soft voice that held a surprising amount of anger for a tone so soft.

"Yes."

Pam's head snapped away from his gaze and she stared at the floor to her side, "She makes you weak."

"Not as weak as you think," Eric replied.

"You don't see what I see!" Pam shouted, her eyes shutting against bloody tears of fear and anger.

"And you do not know what I know," Eric answered her accusation. "One night, Pam, you will meet your Adairia. You will meet you Sookie. Then... Then you will understand. Then you will know what I know. What Godric knows. On that night, you will finally know what magic is. It is not the thing that keeps us animated, nor the thing fairies manipulate so freely. Magic is never having to say goodbye, even in death." He rose from his desk, and as he passed his distraught progeny, he cupped her chin in his palm, "I would die for her, even if her death did not mean my own."

With that, Eric left the office, and Pam fell to the leather couch, sobbing bloody, hostile tears. For a fleeting moment, the thought of murdering Sookie Stackhouse and her Maker in one swift movement of a snapping neck felt horrifically justified. If she was not enough to make her Master want to exist, then she did not want him to exist anymore!

At that thought, Pam sat up straight upon the couch and her mouth slung in terror at the very thing her mind had conjured. Had she really just thought of murdering her Maker? Of destroying the deepest connection she had ever experienced with another creature?

She had to leave. She had to get away from Louisiana. As far from Sookie Stackhouse as she possibly could, and put the temptation far out of reach. If she ever encountered the woman again, she was certain that she would do something she would regret for the remainder of eternity. Even her Maker's command could not entirely prevent this. Already Pam's mind was racing with "accidents" for the fairy hybrid, and the vampiress had to leave before she could act upon any of them. For the safety of her Maker!

**TBC**

**A/N: Please remember to review!**


	12. Chapter 11

My Angel

_A/N: Hello, loyal readers! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter, and remember to review at the end! _

_-Andi_

**Chapter Eleven:**

Eric snarled as he snapped his phone shut, cracking it with the unneeded force. Pam had abandoned her duties at Fangtasia, and he could feel her racing away from Shreveport. Strangely, she had not stopped at her resting place to gather anything, merely took to running at top speed, heading North. Now she was refusing to answer her phone, and he was forced to close the club. He would be damned before falling so far as to serve humans drinks himself!

He could feel her in his bond, and he was filled with anger, terror, and confusion. It was not hard to discern what those feelings meant. Pam had thought of something idiotic, and was running away before she could do it. After the conversation he had not an hour ago, it was quite simple to determine that Sookie was the focal point of Pam's idiocy.

Flipping his cracked phone back open, Eric called his Maker.

"_Two calls in a single night? Child, if you wanted to be by my side again, you could have just come to Dallas,"_ Godric teased as he answered.

"Pam has run off to the North. I believe she is losing her restraint to harm Sookie," Eric confessed.

"_I see. At least she was smart enough and loyal enough to run."_ Godric sighed comfortingly, _"__She will come around. You did, after all."_

Eric growled as he remembered his own episode with Godric, when his Maker was contemplating meeting the sun a century or so ago. Though Eric's situation was not too similar, for a Child, anything that endangered their Maker's continued existence could be devastating. Especially when a Maker and Child were as steadfast in their love and loyalty to one another as Godric, Eric, and Pam

"You did not meet the sun. You continued your existence. To Pam, my circumstances make her feel like I may meet my true death any day, and she has no power to stop it. She only has the power to decide when it happens," Eric argued.

"_Child, I could still change my mind at any moment, and end myself. How is the situation any different? You have come to terms with my flame being extinguished now, yes?"_ Godric asked.

"None what so ever. I still dread it, but-"

"_But you chose not to dwell, and instead went about as if it were not a possibility,"_ Godric finished for him. _"__Pam will come to such terms eventually, but you may need to accept that it could be up until Sookie Stackhouse has either been turned, or met her natural death."_

"Pam was trying to convince me that seducing Sookie and manipulating her to be turned is the only logical solution," Eric sighed.

"_And what do you believe?"_

"That she is correct, but I am no longer logical when it comes to Sookie," he confessed.

"_As it should be in love."_ Godric laughed a bit at himself and his Child's situation. _"__How far do you think Pam will get before dawn?"_

Eric thought for a moment, "Day break is only a couple of hours away. She could get to Missouri, but I think she will begin heading east after that, and cut through Illinois when she rises tomorrow evening. She will more than likely flee to New York at some point."

"_I see."_ Godric sounded amused that Eric knew his progeny so well, _"__I suppose, with Pam away, I will be receiving your phone calls more often?"_

"I will try not to be troublesome."

"_My Child is never trouble... Except when he is extremely so,"_ Godric laughed heartily now.

{†}

_'YES!'_ Sookie shot out of bed to the sunny day, _'SUNDAY MORNING!'_

Though she still was at a loss for what she wanted to do on her second... Or could this be considered a third date? Despite the fact that Eric taking her to see her future apartment was not really a date-like activity, it still had been fun and intimate. She had learned a lot about Eric that evening as well as about vampires.

Saturday night had been interesting, Sookie mused as she grabbed her robe and headed to the bathroom. Eric had arrived after her shift as promised, but nothing had gone as Sookie had planned. Her Angel seemed distracted. Not distracted in the way he had been when Compton had sent the Rattrays to beat the hell out of her, and he was fighting the call of her blood. Saturday night was a whole different form of preoccupation.

Eric seemed melancholy, almost depressed. After many pointed questions and less than subtle prodding, the vampire finally admitted that his Child had run off.

"_Pam?" Sookie had asked curiously._

"_Yes. She left last night. Very abruptly," Eric finally opened up._

"_Why?"_

"_You will not like the answer," he confessed._

"_I'm sure I won't, but tell me anyway," Sookie smiled comfortingly._

_Eric gazed at her carefully, as though he were trying to gage her expression along with what he felt in the connection he had to her, "She was losing her restraint, and was becoming too tempted to kill you."_

_Sookie's eyes widened, and her heart fluttered as she felt immediate goosebumps break out across her skin all the way up her scalp, "B-but you're her Maker, can't you keep her from even trying that?" she asked desperately._

_"I can, but she could still find ways around it. I would need to command her to avoid, specifically, every single thing she could do to kill you. From poisoning the entire county's well water, to cutting the brake lines on your car." He shook his head sadly, "It was the right thing for her to leave like that."_

"_Doesn't she love you? Why would she want to kill me if she wouldn't want you dead?" Sookie demanded, these vampire morals were starting to confuse her far more than she thought they should!_

_Eric contemplated her momentarily before answering, "Because I am in love with you, and she finds my weakness for you a greater loss than my true death. To Pam: it is better to die than to be in love."_

_Sookie recoiled at his explanation, "Who... Who could think such a thing?"_

"_Pam comes from a time where love meant very little. A time when marriage was a business arrangement."_

"_Don't you?"_

"_Yes, but I am far older, and I have experienced the beauty of love; as well as the destructive power of it." He told her. "I can yearn for it in a way that she has not learned to yet. Someday, when she is ancient she will understand the difference between the connection of a Maker and Child, and that of Love."_

Sookie's heart still raced when she contemplated Eric's love for her. Her gut became a pool of heat, even hotter than the water now dousing her head. It took the chill out of the thought that Eric's Child wished her dead, and even considered killing her Maker in exchange for it.

"Sookie?" Gran called from the other side of the bathroom door, "Are you all right? You've been in there a long time, Darlin'..."

"Fine!" Sookie replied loudly over the water. "Got lost in thought," she said, feeling embarrassed at hogging all of the hot water.

"Okay, well, lunch is ready whenever you are!" Gran told her.

"Thank you!"

Sookie made quick work of finishing her shower, and hopped down the stairs in a robe with her hair drawn up in a towel. As she sat at the table, Gran puttered about the kitchen, fussing over something or another that she thought needed cleaning.

"Hey, Gran?" Sookie asked around a leg of chicken, "Have you heard from Jason the last few days?"

Gran frowned and turned to her granddaughter, "Now that you mention it, I haven't. Oh, that boy, he'll put me in my grave worryin'! He hasn't been at the bar?" she checked.

Sookie shook her head, "Not since the night René was taken in."

Gran scowled now, "I better call and check on him." She went to the phone hanging by the cabinet and dialed Jason's number. When it went to voicemail she snarled into the phone, "Jason Corbet Stackhouse, this is your Gran! You better call me as soon as you get this message, and explain why haven't I seen hide nor hair of you in almost a week!" She hung up the phone before turning to her granddaughter and asking, "Sookie, Dear, call Hoyt and check to make sure he's at least been to work?"

Sookie nodded and ran to her room to grab her phone. Picking it up, she called her brother's co-worker. Hoyt picked up on the second ring.

"_'lo?"_ Hoyt's gentle voice sounded breathless.

"Hoyt, it's Sookie, is my brother with the road crew?" she asked.

"_Sooks..? Nah, he quit 'bout five days ago... Well, he actually called me the night René, or whatever his name is, got arrested for them murders. Told me he was gonna quit the next day... Wait, you didn't know that?"_ Hoyt sounded surprised, _"Thought he told you and your Gran everything!"_

"Apparently not." Sookie worried her lip between her teeth, "Well, do you know where he is?"

"_Nope. No one's seen him in at least two days."_

Sookie growled in her throat, wondering how she was ever going to explain this to her Gran. "Thanks, Hoyt. I'll see if we can't track him down."

"_Okay, let me know he's okay when you do."_

"I will." Sookie hung up the phone and went to the kitchen to see Gran tapping a fork against the table gently, "Hoyt says he quit his job. No one's seen him in about two days."

"What?" Gran stood up sharply, in a manner that belied her age. "Is he still in town?"

"I don't know, Gran. No one does!" Sookie told her desperately. "Do you want me to see if Eric-"

"No," Gran shook her head, "this has all the makings of another Jason cockamamie plan."

Sookie grimaced, "Okay, if you're sure..?"

"If we don't hear from him in the next couple of days, then I would appreciate you talking to Mr. Northman about finding him. Our Jason won't go getting himself killed in under a week." The old woman reasoned.

Sookie nodded in understanding. "I'm gonna go out for a bit, Gran. I'll be back in a while," she said slowly, making her way to the stairs to dress quickly.

Charging back down the stairway, freshly dressed and damp hair thrown in a ponytail, Sookie bolted out the door and into her car. She tore off to the old oak her an Jason used to climb when they were kids. The place where Eric had built her a temporary drive-in theater.

It was well known to Sookie that the oak was Jason's solitary spot. He often sat up in the tree in the late afternoon when he was stressed out. Jason always said it was for the exercise, but Sookie knew all too well that it was because that tree used to be the only place he could climb high enough that she could not hear into his head when they were younger. Now her telepathy was too strong for the tree to offer any security, but old habits died hard.

"Jason!" Sookie called as she ran through the field and up the hill, her car unable to handle the rough terrain. "Jason!" Sookie called again, seeing someone sitting high on a tricky bough of the oak.

"Stay there, Sook!" Jason's voice hollered to her, and she stopped dead in her tracks, "I know you'll hear my head if you come closer than that, so just stay there so I can talk to you."

"I'm listening!" Sookie shouted.

"I'm movin' up north!" he explained hoarsely, but she knew it was not because of the yelling. It was emotional for him.

"North? Where north!?" she screamed.

"Chicago, I think."

"What the heck are you talking about!?"

"I've never seen the snow before. It seems like a cool place. Plenty to do-"

"Jason, why are you-"

"I'm gonna move up there for a few years. Go to college."

Sookie balked at that declaration, "College? For _what_?"

Jason shrugged, "Construction Management." Sookie had to admit, at least he was not grasping for the impossible. Unlikely, maybe, but not impossible, "I won't have a pretty face forever, and that's all I am here. Washed out high school footballer, never made nothin' of himself. Fuckin' every chick in a twenty mile radius I wasn't a relation of. Even some married ones." Sookie floundered for what to say, trying to comprehend where this was all coming from, "That Drew guy was right about me. I fucked myself worse than anybody, and all 'cause I was some horny redneck with a pretty face."

"Jason," Sookie murmured, wrapping her arms over her chest.

She watched as her brother climbed down the tree and walked, bare foot, towards her. Wrapping her up in his arms, Jason's voice was gruff from all the shouting as he whispered, "I'm sorry it's all the sudden, Sook. I'm sorry it's so far away, too. I can't stay down south, though. It'd be too easy fallin' into all my bad habits. Don't tell Gran I'm leavin'. She'll-"

"She'd never talk you outta it, Jason Stackhouse. She'd push your ass out the door," Sookie sobbed into her brother's shoulder. "She's gonna be so proud when you tell her-"

"I'll tell her once I'm outta here. I'll call and tell her, but if I hear her proud of me before I leave, I'll just do my arrogant routine and think just thinkin' of doin' it is enough."

"Okay, I'll tell her I saw you, and that you're okay. That'll buy you a coupla days, but you gotta work fast," Sookie told him.

"Thanks, Sis." Jason gave her a tight squeeze.

"And whatever college you get into, you make sure it's accredited! I don't need you comin' back with some phoney baloney degree!" She said sternly, making her older brother laugh. "And you call us lots and lots and tell us how everything's goin'."

"You really believe I'll do it?" he asked breathlessly, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Course I do! You're my big brother, and I've always thought you could do anything!"

"Thanks, Sook."

"And if you ever think you can't do it, or think about comin' back without your degree- you call me, or Gran, and we'll give ya a tongue lashin' so bad, you'll be too scared of us to fail!" Jason coughed around a laugh to hide a sob.

"And you call me if you ever need anythin'." Jason told her, "Whether it's knockin' your vamp down a peg, or walkin' you down an aisle. Okay?"

"Okay."

Jason pulled back to look down at his sister, "Wait, don't you got a date tonight?"

"Oh, yeah..." She looked down at herself and grimaced. She would need to shower again to get all the dirt off of her legs from running through the field. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Hoyt. He overheard it from Tara, and he was helpin' me a couple of days ago on the truck and mentioned it."

"Oh."

"It's gettin' late in the afternoon. You better get back to the house to get ready." Jason told her. "Get in my truck, I'll drive ya down to your car." He pointed to the truck and Sookie dashed over to it. The brother laughed as she hoisted herself into the high seat, and he followed into the driver's side.

"What are you gonna do with your truck and mamma and daddy's house?"

"I'm gonna let Hoyt stay at the house." Jason decided, "Livin' with his ma is havin' bad influences on him. I'll leave the truck here, I guess. Big city like Chicago- I can take the trains or something." He looked excited at the idea.

"I guess that makes sense." Sookie nodded as they bounced down to the main road, towards Sookie's car. When they arrived at the Toyota, Sookie climbed out of the truck, but before she sat behind the wheel of her own car, she turned and shouted to her brother as he left, "GO MAKE ME PROUD!"

{†}

"Good evening, Sookie," Eric purred as he walked into the farmhouse and handed her a big, yellow sunflower. Sookie giggled as she brought the giant blossom to her face and peered over the pointed gold petals at him.

"Good evening," she greeted back, placing the flower on the table by the door and wrapping her arms around him as her head leaned into his chest.

"Have you decided what we are doing tonight?" he asked.

Sookie shook her head, "Not really. Honestly, I just want to spend time with you. I don't need an activity or anything. I wracked my brain the last few days trying to think of something you'd enjoy like you did for me on our first date, but I got nadda."

Eric laughed lightly at that. "I enjoy just being in your company as well," he admitted before glancing down at her feet. "Are those shoes comfortable?" he asked after a moment of admiring her dainty toes.

"Yeah, why?"

"Would you like to walk around by the lake and just talk? You can get to know more about me, and you can tell me about your day. I can impress you with my amazing stone skipping skills...?" Sookie laughed at that last part and nodded enthusiastically. "All right, then." He took her hand and walked her out to his hummer that he had brought again.

"Oh, you brought the big car again," she mused. "I thought the other one was your favorite?"

"It is, but I was unsure what we would be doing tonight, and this vehicle can handle off roading and country roads much better," he told her.

"Ah, smart thinking." She let him help her into the tall seat of the vehicle, and Eric shut the door behind her.

They were at the lake in a short time, and Sookie chatted about fishing with Gran and Jason lots of times before her parents had died. The pond behind their parents' house was great for catching crawfish, but the lake was always better for perch and sometimes trout since it was fed by a good sized river.

"Hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing trees," Eric rattled off. "Definitely a well rounded woman."

"Well, I grew to like that stuff after a while because it was the only time Jason and I spent time together." Her face fell as she thought of her brother more, "He's moving away," she told him.

"Oh?" Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Sookie nodded, "Yeah, he's moving up north to go to college and get away from here. He just doesn't feel like he can grow here, and if he's down south, he's afraid he'll fall into old, bad habits too easily."

Eric nodded in understanding, "I never thought your brother had the capacity to feel as though he needed improvement. He has grown a lot these last five years."

"I think he's grown a lot these last five days. Six days ago, I'd say he hadn't grown at all the last five years!" Sookie laughed, "But the night you caught René, or Drew, whatever his name was, Jason was really stunned. What Drew said to him really hit Jason. He realized what a lazy, unmotivated, jerk of a man-whore he'd become. I'm just worried the change of scenery won't help him grow up at all, but I'm terrified that it will, and he'll never come back," she admitted.

"You want change to happen without it effecting you," Eric told her. "That is how I felt with you, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yes, similar to Pam, actually. I wanted to love you without being any different than who I was, but I knew you could never love me in return if I was who I was."

Sookie frowned, "You shouldn't have to be someone you're not to make someone love you." It made her sad that Eric was tailoring his personality to something she would appreciate.

Eric shook his head, "I was not changing who I was, I was becoming someone I wanted to be. Just as your brother is attempting. I will always be a ruthless vampire, Sookie, but I will never be that to you. I needed to create this softer side of myself, or rather, work on my patience so that you could see that there was kindness in me. Even if only you ever saw it."

"And that's why your Child left you," Sookie moped, trying to find something to blame herself for.

Eric chuckled at that, "Perhaps, but she will come back to me. We love each other far too much to abandon each other so completely. I am certain you and your brother have had disagreements that lead to neither of you talking to each other for a while."

Sookie bit her lip, "Yeah, more than I can count. I still feel bad that I'm why you guys aren't talking. I don't know Pam at all, but I know you, and I know her not being here hurts you."

"We have both been on our own before. It is nothing we have not experienced. I am certain she is off in New York now, running up my credit card as we speak."

Sookie blanched, "She just spends your money on a whim like that? And you don't care?"

Eric shrugged, "It is only money, which I have more than enough of. You might say, I have unlimited amounts of it. Unless Pam went around buying jet planes, she cannot put a dent in my funds."

"Jeez! How rich are you?" Sookie gawked.

"I would need to consult a few accountants to give you the number on my wealth, but it is extensive." Eric leered at her, "Why? Are you interested in my bank numbers now?" he teased.

"As if." She gave him a little shove, "I've never wanted for anything, really. I mean, we don't have much money, but all the things that mattered to me, I had most of them. I wish I could have my parents back, but that's the only thing. No amount of money can make that happen, so I guess I always thought of money as pretty useless. It pays the bills, buys the food, and extends me a little indulgence here or there, but that's it. It can't take away my telepathy, or bring my parents back, so really, it's not all that impressive."

Eric's arm wrapped over her shoulder as they continued walking around the lake. They were quiet for a long time, other than their footsteps until Sookie asked, "Tell me a story. Tell me your favorite story from your past."

The vampire was thoughtful a moment before he smiled, "My favorite story..." She eyed him hopefully, "It has only recently become my favorite, and it is not really _my_ story. It is actually my Maker Godric's story."

"Why is it your favorite all the sudden?" Sookie asked.

"You enjoy romance novels, yes?" Sookie blushed but nodded, prompting Eric to continue, "Godric once lived the most beautiful romance that no human could ever believe possible. It has a very sad ending though."

"Oh," she pouted, "now you have to tell me, and I'm gonna cry like a baby."

"Here," he saw a dock on the lake and pulled her towards it, "let's sit on the pier and I will tell you."

"Okay, but I'm sitting on your shirt! This skirt is too short to be sitting on the wood. I'll get a splinter or something in a very bad place to have a splinter!" Eric let out a bellowing laugh at her reasoning.

"You could sit in my _lap?_" he suggested, taking her hips in his hand.

"Okay, but no funny business!" she said as they arrived at the dock and Eric fell to the ground, opening his arms to her.

Sookie curled into his lap, enjoying the strong support his body offered. He was so easy to relax into since she knew it would not cause him discomfort after awhile.

"All right. All comfortable?" he asked as she nuzzled into his chest and nodded. "A long time ago, before Godric ever made me, he fought in a vampire/fae war."

"Vampires and fairies fought wars against each other?"

"Several. I fought in a couple as well. Of course, the realm of the fae is pretty much desolate now, but that is not the point of the story."

"Oh, sorry!" Sookie squeaked, feigning zipping her mouth shut, locking it, and throwing away the key. Eric laughed.

"Well, during one of the battles, Godric found a small fairy girl trying to hide from the fray," Eric continued. "He took her to safety, because he did not like to see children harmed, even fairy ones. The girl never forgot his kindness, and, after the war ended, she would come to the human realm and bring gifts of gratitude to Godric. As she grew up, her feelings did too, and soon she was bringing him much more intimate gifts. Eventually, when she was older, the two fell in love."

Sookie was smiling at the story, thinking how romantic it was for a girl to fall in love with her savior. Mostly because that was what Sookie was experiencing right then.

"They became intimate, and Godric struggled every day to keep himself from killing her." Sookie frowned at that, "Fairy blood is very overwhelming for vampires. Their blood is both intoxicating and irresistible to us. To be in a fairy's presence, it takes great self-restraint not to kill it. But Godric never harmed her. When he asked for the fairy to become his Bonded, she accepted, and Godric went through grueling trials to make it happen. He had Weres present to silver and subdue him when they did their three blood exchanges." He gazed down at Sookie, gaging her reaction, "He made it happen, and after they were Bonded, Godric never suffered from the lure of her blood. He could partake in her blood and flesh freely without risking harming her."

Sookie was captivated further by the story, "A Bond is that strong?"

Eric nodded, "The strongest in the world," he assured.

"So, if he couldn't hurt her, what's the sad part?" Sookie asked.

Eric frowned as he continued the tale, "Godric's Maker was an evil, sadistic fuck." Sookie blanched at his choice of words. He usually only swore like that when he was extremely angry, and his use of profanity to describe Godric's Maker was a clear indicator of just how evil he was, "Godric and his Bonded existed for nearly three hundred years as mates, and then Livius came and destroyed their happiness. Livius subdued Godric, tortured him, and then destroyed his soul by murdering his Bonded." Sookie's hands went to her lips as she gasped.

"Why didn't he just change her!?" Sookie cried.

Eric smiled, "Adairia... That was his Bonded's name. She was a guardian angel, and did not wish to be turned. Godric loved her, and never would turn her against her will, even to protect her."

"Is Livius still around?" Sookie asked haughtily.

Eric shook his head, "No, he was destroyed for killing Adairia. Aside from her Clan wanting retribution, it is against vampire law to murder a Bonded couple's other half. Whether the living half of the couple is fairy, human, Were, or a Bonded Mate; execution is emanate for the one who kills the other half. If a Bonded Mate is killed, it is considered the greatest taboo in our culture."

"What's a Bonded Mate?" Sookie asked.

"It is a term we use for vampires who were Bonded before their metamorphosis. It is loosely used in our culture for a living half that is preparing to cross over. It is commonly used between the couple even before decisions have been made. Therefore, Godric and Adairia would have used the term as an endearment, even though she had no intention of crossing over." Eric told her. "But, if she had, then all those beholden to Godric would refer to Adairia as his Bonded Mate."

"So Livius is completely dead."

"Yes. Very. The Council granted Godric the ability to kill him, and he did so quite viciously." Eric told her.

"Why is that your favorite story if your Maker was in such pain?" Sookie sniffled.

"Well, as I said, Adairia was a guardian angel. When her life was extinguished, the Gods and Goddesses granted her full status as an angel. As she ascended, her body was regenerated, and she called out to Godric, promising that he would claim her again someday," he smiled. "After meeting you, I have contemplated the powers of the Gods and Goddesses often. If I had not killed your great uncle all those centuries ago, I would not have been indebted to Niall, and I might never have met you," he told her.

Sookie pondered a moment before asking again, "But _why is that your favorite story?_"

"Because, since I met you, I have a renewed hope that Adairia will keep her promise. Fate is so marvelous to consider at times. It might seem daunting when times are difficult, and we may want to curse the Pantheon for our hardships along the way, but in the end, I think Fate knows what it is doing," he explained his musings.

"Eric," Sookie began carefully, "would you ever Bond to someone?"

"I would Bond to you," he said without hesitation. "I would insist you become a vampire if you chose to Bond with me, however."

"Would I become a mean person if I turned into a vampire?" she asked sadly.

Eric smiled, "You could never be a mean anything, Sookie. I suppose vampires become too jaded over time, but you would be unique. You would be Bonded and have an existence of unrelenting love. How could someone as sweet as you, enveloped in undying love, ever become mean, bitter, or jaded?"

"I'd really miss my tan," she frowned, and Eric laughed.

"The sun is overrated, anyway. Besides, if you did plenty of sunbathing before your turning, your skin would still be darker than mine. It would lack the same radiance, but it would still be dark. Although, if you refrained from tanning excessively beforehand, your skin would look like porcelain. You would have a very doll-like quality to your complexion," he told her.

They spoke out by the lake until it was getting far too close to dawn for Eric to remain any longer. As he brought her to her door, and walked her up the steps, Eric cupped Sookie's chin in his hands and kissed her in a way that left her knees weak. It was slow and sensuous. The sort of kiss that would have lead to much more if the sun were not being so inconsiderate by rising.

As Sookie watched him leave, she sighed, leaning her head against the rail post. An eternity of endless night did not seem so dreary when she thought of never having to leave Eric Northman's arms ever again.

**TBC**

**A/N: Please remember to review! I have been enjoying just writing a "falling in love" piece, and not getting bogged down by unnecessary drama! Although, I could go for a little more ACTION! Hmmm, when could ****_that_**** happen?**

**-Andi**


	13. Chapter 12

My Angel

_A.N: Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I hope this chapter gets just as good of, if not better, response!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Twelve: Mr. Sandman**

Sookie was still walking on clouds three days after her second date with Eric. Everyone at Merlotte's could see the change in her, and they all smiled knowingly, with surprisingly little malice or crudeness in their heads. Though most of Bon Temps was apprehensive about Sookie's gift, those who had come to know her could not bring themselves to feel contempt for the lonely woman who had finally found love. Even if it was in the arms of a vampire.

Tara whistled loudly at her glowing friend when Thursday rolled around, not showing any signs that her happiness was anything short lived. "Wow, I've never seen you so happy!" Tara commented when there was a lull at the bar.

"I've never been so happy!" Sookie beamed.

"If I were an idiot I'd think it was because tomorrow's your last day in this shit hole-"

"HEY!" Sam snarled from across the other end of the bar, making both women laugh.

"You know I say it with love, Merlotte!" Tara snapped back teasingly. "So, you and that vamp getting it on yet?" she asked with a sly gaze that only Tara could manage.

"No, we've only had two dates-"

"And date number three is-"

"I don't know, and I don't know that we'll do that!" Sookie tittered nervously, her face blushing and a nervous giggle followed the statement.

"You seen him at all since Sunday?" Tara frowned.

"Yeah, but only here and there. Eric had two people quit the bar on Friday night, so he can't really take a whole night off. He took Sunday off for our date, and even though Sunday was a short night, everything was a wreck when he came in Monday night," Sookie frowned thoughtfully. "Hey! I know how to tend a bar! I should tell him I can do it until he finds some replacements!"

Tara shook her head, "You always gotta fix everything for everybody, don't you?"

Sookie stuck her tongue out at her friend as she went to check her one, measly table, thinking about if Eric would accept her offer. She was not overly skilled as a bartender, but she knew how to mix more than a fair share of different cocktails. Also, she worked the afternoon shift on Friday, which gave her plenty of time to go to her new apartment, shower, change, and work at Fangtasia.

Entertaining the thought of asking Eric that night, Sookie changed her mind, and decided to just show up at Fangtasia, ready to work. After all, how could Eric refuse when she was already there?

After her shift, Sookie's phone rang, and she smiled. Eric had been calling her at the end of her shifts to talk with her as she drove home since he could not follow. Tonight was like every night that week, and she made it to her door safely.

"I'm home." She told him amusedly, "Another night where you don't have to come zipping in to save me."

"_I suppose it is time for tedium to set in,"_ Eric sighed jokingly.

"Oh, I'm boring now?" she teased right back.

"_No, but your near death experiences have plummeted recently. It is nice to have a lull again,"_ he mused, making Sookie laugh.

"Guess what!" she said suddenly.

_"There is a Were scratching at your door? My evening got exciting?"_ he asked.

"Nooo," she whined, "I'm spending tomorrow night in Shreveport! I'm planning on starting to bring my stuff over to the apartment after my shift. Gran helped me finish boxing off most of my stuff yesterday. All I still have is my soaps and stuff, and a set of work clothes left!"

She could practically hear the smile in Eric's voice, _"That must be exciting for you."_

"Yup! Tara's moving in on Sunday, so Gran only has a whole day by herself."

"_That is very nice."_ Eric told her, _"I will see you tomorrow then. Have a good evening. I may drop by to see you after the club closes tonight, though."_

"Oh! I have the early shift tomorrow, Eric. I'm going to bed as soon as I'm out of the shower," she pouted, her tone deeply apologetic.

Eric sighed sadly, _"I suppose I will have to wait until tomorrow evening."_

"It'll be okay. I think I can handle a night not seeing you," she teased.

"_I did not say I could, though."_ Just those words made Sookie's heart race excitedly. As often as he said things like that now, it still made her face flush with romantic thoughts.

"You're sweet," she made a kissing noise over the phone. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Darlin'!" she said, and hung up the phone before he could keep her from her shower any longer.

After a hot shower, and wrapping up in a towel, Sookie brushed out her hair and flopped onto her bed. Tina hopped up, curling against her side, and Sookie rubbed the cat's ears affectionately. It was starting to get hot out, and Sookie just wanted her skin to dry and cool off before changing for bed. However, exhaustion set in, and the woman fell asleep, towel still wrapped around her body.

Though it was impossible to decide how long she had been sleeping, the touch of cold that was trailing along her spine roused Sookie hours later. She shifted her shoulders against the sensation, both reveling in the coolness that took the agony from the humid farmhouse, but made her skin goosebump from the chill.

"I told you I was goin' t' bed," Sookie mumbled into the pillow.

"And I told you I could not imagine making it through the evening without seeing you. At first I was merely going to sit here and watch you sleep, but I could not resist touching your skin when it is so exposed and lovely." Eric's voice was like liquid silk against her eardrums, and she rolled over, reaching up for him. When she felt the cold against her chest, she remembered that she had fallen asleep in her towel, and had just then rolled right out of it!

"Do not cover up," he said forlornly as she moved to wrap her arms over her chest and cross her legs. "I have not seen all of your glory in over a week. You are too beautiful to be hidden," he groaned, cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her. Sookie wrapped her arms around his neck as she had first wanted to, and she felt Eric crawl over her body as he kept from breaking the connection of their lips.

The woman held him tightly to her, her knees raising to grip his jean clad hips, and she kissed him languidly as she was still not quite awake yet.

Feeling her chest mashed against his own, Eric dipped his hips slightly to rub against her core. The bulge in the front of his pants pressed persistently against her, but he did little more than revel in the pressure. Sookie was barely conscious, and he would never dream of trying to play with her when she was so unaware. Instead, since she was coming to Shreveport the following evening, he would try his hand at her then. The idea of it made him strangely giddy. A sensation almost foreign to him from its lack of presence for most of his existence.

"Mmm," Sookie moaned into his mouth at the pleasant feeling of his hardness against her center, "are you trying to ask me for something?" she teased, her eyes hooded in an expression that spoke of lust and fatigue.

"No, only pointing out that you are impossible to resist." Eric nibbled her lip gently.

"Something's pointing all right!" she giggled softly, reaching up to ruffle his hair, "But you've been resisting me for forever. Obviously I'm pretty resistible."

Eric shook his head and rolled his eyes at the absurdity of her observation. "It is you that makes it even possible. All I must do is think of all of the things I wish to give you, and it makes it much easier to reign in my self-control. I want to give you so much more than spontaneity."

Sookie wriggled beneath him, and tauntingly whispered, "But spontaneity is so much more exciting!"

Eric laughed lightly, "Yes, it is, but I at least want to hear you make all the noises you would repress in your grandmother's house. At least let me experience the joy of hearing every little whine and cry at full volume when I make you come around my cock the first time."

Sookie whimpered at the mental picture he was drawing for her. Her body was becoming aflame between his lusty words and the presence of his erection against her exposed womanhood. "Eric, you're killin' me," she told him as she pushed her hips up against his, earning a low, warning growl.

"I am killing _you_?" Eric gasped in disbelief as she bucked once again, and he was forced to hold her hips in place.

"Mmm hmm," she murmured, reaching between them and using her hand to rub him through his jeans.

"Sookie, I can guarantee, if you rub me like that I will not stay quiet, and I will wake your grandmother. I have not been touched like this by a woman in over four years."

"Is it hard being celibate like that?" she asked, still rubbing him as she nipped at his throat and earned a groan.

"Yes and no. No, because I was doing it for you. Yes, because I enjoy sex immensely," he said as his needless breath grew heavier with the exertion of overcoming her touches.

"Are vamps like human men, where when they haven't done it in a long time, it ends really fast?" she asked.

"How would you know such a thing?" Eric looked down at her in surprise.

"Telepath," she reminded him. "I have an approximate knowledge of all things. Even things I've never done or dealt with."

"Ah," he squeezed his eyes shut as she squeezed his shaft, "well," he panted harder, "again- it is yes and no. Yes, I will come fast the first time, but it is not _over_. I can climax several times without needing to stop."

"Like a _girl_?" She gawked and her hand stopped moving, which gave Eric the opportunity to laugh and get away from her caresses now that they had ceased.

"It is a perk of many supernaturals. Vampires have the greatest advantage, but even two-natured and fairy males can experience several climaxes before being unable to continue."

"How many can you have before recuperating?" Sookie asked.

"As many as I can have before dawn," he said thoughtfully.

"You can have sex from dusk 'til dawn!?" she gawked.

"Yes."

"Is that the same for all vamps?"

"No. It comes with age and experience, although a fledgling could go for a couple hours," Eric answered.

"What's your personal best?" she demanded and Eric looked at her in confusion. "How many orgasms have you had in one night?"

Eric continued staring at her, "I have never counted. Believe me, Sookie, you do not get preoccupied with such things."

"Best estimate."

"I have no idea." Sookie growled at him for not appeasing her curiosity. "However," he continued contemplatively, "when you have adjusted to love making, I suppose I could give you the opportunity to find out how many orgasms _you_ can give me between dusk and dawn..?"

His tone was taunting, tempting, and devilishly challenging. It caused Sookie to lick her lips and crawl across the bed towards him. Her movements made Eric want to groan at the way her naked ass swayed and breasts swung like twin pendulums, hypnotizing him better than any pocket watch ever could.

"I accept that challenge," she purred, standing up on her knees and reaching for him with her fingers curved like claws, digging them into his chest.

"Sookie, I thought you wanted to go to bed early because your shift starts at eleven?" Eric smirked down at her, even though he was content to play now that she was wide awake.

"Then you shouldn't have woken me up all sexy like that," she clutched her fingers into his shirt, pulling him down atop her.

"Sookie," he grunted against her mouth, "I was entirely serious. I will be unable to stay silent."

Sookie pushed him so that she could straddle his stomach, and it amazed the vampire how much more self-confidence she had since the last time he had her naked on this bed. She sat atop him, grinding her rear against the bulge that refused to dissipate, and raked her nails beneath his shirt as she did so. When Eric let out a murmur of excitement, she reached above his head, and the next thing he knew, Sookie had pressed a pillow firmly into his face.

Eric wrenched the pillow from her grasp and looked at her in confusion. "Just yell into the pillow," she bit her lip diabolically before reaching between their hips and playing with the button of his jeans.

"Sookie," Eric's voice was a warning, "if you try and fuck me, I will-"

"Who said anything about fucking?" Her grin widened, "There's plenty of other things I can do to you, Mr. Northman."

Eric's head fell back against the bed, and he covered his face with the pillow, punching it repeatedly over his head. "_You _will kill_ me_," he said from beneath the bundle of feathers.

"But what a way to go." Sookie grinned to herself, as she finally opened his pants, practically jumping when his member sprung free of its confines.

The woman openly stared at the beast standing in front of her. Her life as a telepath had prepared Sookie for what male genitalia looked like, but no memory or fantastical musing from a stray mind could have prepared her for the gracious plenty that stood proud and fully erect in front of her. She had no knowledge base for _handling_ such a specimen, and now all she could do was look between Eric's pillow covered face and the stranger in front of her.

"Approximate knowledge is not all it is cracked up to be?" Eric guessed as he removed the pillow from his face. He had felt Sookie's emotions jumping from exhilaration and an amusing dose of terror.

"I don't even know where to start!" she admitted, still in a stupor.

"Sookie, where did I begin with you?" Eric asked gently, and his voice eased some of her nerves.

"Umm," she leaned down, having to shimmy up his waist and put his gracious plenty behind her as she reached for his lips with her own. Eric's arms wrapped around her body and held her tightly as their mouths connected, and their kisses became feverish. His hands found her rear and began kneading the firm globes. In return, her own hands caressed his chest, undoing the buttons of his shirt so he could shrug it off, and her nails began glimpsing over his nipples causing his hips to jerk slightly.

"There you go. Build slowly. No need to dive right in," he mumbled as she broke the kiss and began suckling at Eric's neck.

Keeping the speed sedate, Sookie lavished his neck and collarbones with her tongue, taking her time to come to his nipples and lick, nibble and suck them as well. She traced the lines of his ribs as she slowly descended the length of his body, memorizing the hard muscles of his abdomen with her mouth and fingernails. There was a subtle tremble to him that encouraged her that she was doing well and learning quickly.

Lower, lower, lower-

**THUD**

Sookie fell off of the end of the bed, not realizing that Eric had been too long for it, and that his feet had actually been planted on the ground the entire time. Realization that she had been balancing on the precipice of his knees when undoing his pants before became startling obvious when she shimmied right off of them.

The vampire was forced to cover his face with the pillow as he positively roared with laughter. When he managed to recover, he quickly sat up and peered down at Sookie

"Are you all right?" She had her hands over her face, and her body was curled in the fetal position. He placed his feet on either side of her and sat on the mattress's edge, "Sookie?"

"Oh my G_aw_d!" she moaned into her hands with embarrassment. "Could I have done anything _less_ sexy?"

"I thought it was adorable," Eric chuckled as she glared through her fingers at him. "Come here." He held out his hand to her, and she rose onto her knees, blushing furiously. "I believe you left off right about... here." He pointed to his navel and Sookie bit her lip shyly. Eric leaned forward further and kissed her lips, trying to coax that plump bottom lip out from between her teeth. She began kissing him back after a moment, and he pulled away looking at her with a smile.

Hesitantly, Sookie leaned in, and kissed Eric's bellybutton, dipping her tongue into the little hollow before retracing a few of her earlier paths to regain her courage. She could feel Eric's rigid length nestled between her breasts, and she reached down to smash the fleshy globes around him, making Eric grunt approvingly. Massaging her breasts, and in turn squeezing his member, Sookie regained her confidence and tilted her chin into her chest to glimpse her tongue over the exposed head of his cock. The vampire's hips jumped at the touch, and Sookie smiled to herself.

Releasing her cleavage, Sookie now took his length into her hand and began stroking him purposefully, using her mouth and tongue to play with the very tip. There were vague memories from some people's heads about "deep throating", but Sookie looked at the gracious plenty before her and thoughts such as "impossible" and "obvious suicide" ran through her brain. Instead, she continued using her hands to stroke what could never possibly fit into her mouth while her tongue danced around the sensitive gland.

"Sookie," Eric hissed, his head bending over her as his hands gripped the edge of the mattress. She sped up her movements, and she could hear a continuous utterance in a language she could not identify, let alone interpret. His words were a sharp staccato which seemed to spill from his mouth as she found a fast paced rhythm. His hands tangled in her hair, not pushing or pulling, just holding desperately as his words tumbled faster from his lips and his eyes and jaw closed tensely. Finally the words began to break, and Sookie felt his hand tug her hair as he reached to cry out into the pillow she had given him earlier. Her mouth filled suddenly with a thick, creamy liquid that had a tinge of copper mingled in its flavor.

Sitting back on her heels as she swallowed down his spendings, Sookie placed her hands on Eric's knees as she stared at the pillow where his face should be. Her gaze remained trained on that pillow, her eyes big as she waited to hear the verdict on her "approximate knowledge".

At last the pillow lowered, and a hazy glaze remained in Eric's eyes as he looked down at her with the stupidest smirk she had ever seen. His eyes were just far too content to pull off a smirk, but then the other corner of his lips raised, and she saw his relaxed smile. The expression filled her with happiness.

"Not overrated after all," he finally breathed, taking her hands that were still on his knees and beckoning her to him. Sookie giggled happily as she crawled into his lap and kissed him deeply. He did not seem to mind that he could taste himself on her tongue, and she was grateful for that since his mouth was the only place hers wished to be in that moment.

"So, did I make you forget how to speak english?" she asked teasingly when their lips parted at last.

Eric shook his head, "No, but I have a tendency to string together large lines of profanity when I am about to have an extremely pleasurable orgasm. I did not want to offend you, and it is rather natural to go back to that language..." He pondered thoughtfully before continuing, "Also, some of it was rather graphic details of what I wanted to do to you, and I did not wish to scare you with them," he laughed.

"What the _hell_ were you saying?" she gaped at him.

It was hard to recall every single utterance, but he paraphrased, "I want to fuck that pretty mouth until my cock is all the way down your tight, little throat..? Something like that," he answered, worried at how is honesty would be received.

"Oh, well, that is both hot and terrifying at the same time," Sookie played with her hair nervously.

"More hot than terrifying?" he asked hopefully.

Sookie nodded, "Surprisingly, yes." She flushed as she continued, "I think I like when you say stuff like that. Even though you're not touching me at the moment, I felt this intense throb when you told me that. I don't think stuff like that would scare me when we're being intimate. I think it would make me feel even sexier. After falling off the bed, I could really go for feeling sexy," she admitted.

Eric knew better than to laugh at that last part, even though it still amused him. Instead, he kept the same, gentle smile on his lips and twisted them so that Sookie was beneath him once again. He kissed her mouth softly, "Everything about you is sexy. From the way you jiggle your ass when you dance in your underwear, to the way your face flushes when you are yelling at me. Every damned thing about you is sexy."

Sookie whimpered as she felt one of his hands dipping into her folds. She was already so aroused from pleasuring him, and now his words were making the ache grow stronger. As his finger began to stroke the wet gash between her legs, and flicker teasingly over the pink pearl above her opening, Sookie arched against his hand.

"Eric," she panted, reaching up to clamp her hands onto his shoulders firmly, "ah, I-I can't believe I'm already this cl-close!" She was already taken aback by her arousal, but the gentle playing of his fingertips had brought her to the escarpment of release rather suddenly.

"There is pleasure in giving pleasure, Lover." She mewled at the endearment, arching into his caress. "What is more exciting than making all of these little cries and gasps pour from your lover's lips because of what you are doing?" His hand rubbed her clit firmly, earning a strained wail. "What is more delicious than the taste of your lover on your tongue?" he asked before kissing her deeply. "And what is more alluring than your lover embracing you intimately?" His finger dipped carefully into her inviting channel, feeling the tight walls squeeze around the invading digit.

"Eric, Eric- Oh my God!" She held the forearm of the hand between her legs, her nails digging into the iron like muscles. Her expression was uncertain as she flat out refused to believe a pillow could muffle the scream building up inside of her. There was a temptation to rip his hand from between her thighs, but she could not bring herself to stop the train of pleasure barreling through her body. "I can't, I can't, I -I"

"You can." He gave a particularly firm pump with his finger before working a second inside of her as the heel of his hand found a rhythm against her clit.

"N-n-noooo..." She arched in his embrace.

"Oh yes," he assured, that devilish smile of his plastering across his face as his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Ah, hah!" The terror on her face became astounded as his hand began to move at a speed no human's could ever match. Her eyes turned back into her skull and the sweetest cry Eric had ever heard tore from her throat. Her inner walls contracted violently around his fingers, and the vampire moaned at the sensation, wanting for nothing more than to burry his throbbing cock inside the tight, wet heat.

He could hear Sookie's grandmother scrambling out of her bed, and he left his stunned lover on the bed to intercept the Stackhouse matriarch after swiftly pulling up his pants. Eric was outside the woman's door before she could even open it, and when she did, his glamouring eyes insisted she return to bed, and that nothing had awoken her.

Adele, freshly glamoured, went back to her bed, and Eric returned to Sookie's bedroom where she was still panting as she stared at the ceiling in a daze. She seemed completely unaware that he had left for that fraction of a second.

"Sookie?" Eric ran his hand over her trembling thigh as he laid back onto the bed. He kissed her sweating shoulder, working his way up her neck.

"Huh?" She turned her glassy eyes onto him, "Hi," she smiled lazily.

"Hi," he chuckled in return. "Are you all right?"

She nodded contently as she gave a languid stretch before her joints turned to gelatine. "Oh! Did I wake Gran?"

Eric thought for a brief moment, "Yes, but she is back in bed."

Sookie narrowed her eyes at him. "You glamoured her back into bed, didn't you?" she accused, but it was surprisingly playful.

"Yes."

"Even though I hate when you do that, I'm glad you did this time. This is a little too embarrassing," she said.

"I thought you might think so, but I would have had to _smother_ you with a pillow to keep that cry drowned out enough not to wake anyone," he said with great amusement.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed. "That felt even more amazing than last time, and you didn't even use your mouth this time," she commented after a moment.

Eric smirked, "That is because you were extremely aroused by pleasuring me, much less shy about me seeing you nude, and of course, I am still learning your body. Next time will be even better."

Sookie laughed, "I doubt that."

"I do not." She wanted to laugh at his confidence, but the convinced look on his face killed the laugh in her throat. "There are always deeper levels of pleasure, Lover. I will delight in going on many adventures while exploring your body. Every touch grows more arousing when you know where to touch, with how much pressure, how quickly, and with what motion." He kissed the side of her neck, "Which is the most tender part of your throat? Behind the ear?" He licked there, "At the most exposed portion of your carotid?" He gave that part a firm suckle, "Where your neck meets your shoulder?" He nipped there and her hips bucked against his own, "Did you enjoy the bite, or the attention to that spot?" He wondered aloud and nibbled the other two places, earning similar responses, "You enjoy being bitten." This amused and aroused him, so he put a firmer bite against her throat, but he felt her body jerk away minutely, "But only a little hurt. My Sookie is not a masochist, only enjoys the illusion of it." He suckled at the juncture of her neck that he had inadvertently abused, easing the small hurt. Her heart was racing now, "Mmm, but you like the sooth after the hurt. Much more receptive to suckling after I bit a little too hard. I think you will more than enjoy me drinking from you." His words alone made her thighs separate slightly, and he wanted to grin like a fiend.

"Eric," she whispered, "you better be planning on doing something about the ruckus you've stirred down there."

"Absolutely," he assured, "but I am still learning."

Sookie whimpered, "I call recess." He laughed. "Please, Eric, I will let you explore 'til your heart's content tomorrow night! Please, just make me come again now!" she begged.

Eric glanced at her slyly. "Is that a promise you are willing to keep?" he asked.

"Yesss," she hissed pleadingly.

"I do not take promises lightly, Sookie," he warned her. "I could very well keep you up until near dawn."

"Fine!" she agreed. "It's a promise! Now make me come!"

Eric grinned to himself as he descended to her dripping sex. It was far too easy bringing Sookie over the edge a second time. His talented mouth tore yet another scream from Sookie, and Eric was forced to glamour her grandmother _again_.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Sookie panted when he returned to the bedroom.

"For what?" Eric asked, pulling Sookie into his arms.

"I keep wakin' Gran up. She's gonna forget her entire life at this rate," she was still gasping for air between every other word.

"Glamour does not have any ill effects such as that. Well, I suppose it could, but you cannot over glamour such trite moments away. They will only take up the same space that forgotten dreams do. I have always been extremely careful on the level of glamour I used on your friends and family since I knew they would be the ones subjected to it the most," Eric assured her.

"I still feel guilty that I don't really feel as guilty as I should for letting you do that to her," Sookie blanched after her breathing evened out.

Eric tilted his head thoughtfully, "Last week you would have thrown me out of your house for doing that," he agreed, "but your feelings for me seem to be changing. You know, relationships can make people very selfish."

Sookie nodded, "Yeah, I've seen them make people really selfish."

"This is all very new to you as well, and it is easy to over indulge in new things," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess that's true too," she agreed.

"So, enjoy what you have never had. Be selfish. Be overly self-indulgent," he shrugged away her worry.

"I think right now, I want to be overly unconscious. You wiped me out," she yawned, turning her back into his chest and wriggling so that he was spooning tightly against her.

"Oh, then you are in for a very rough night tomorrow," Eric whispered in her ear.

"Hmm? Why's that?" Sookie yawned again, eyes shutting sleepily.

"Because you _promised,_" his voice sent a pleasurable chill down her back, but somehow, when she turned to look at him, Eric was already gone.

Sitting upright in the bed, Sookie looked around the room in surprise and wonderment. That could not have been a dream, could it? She looked for any evidence that Eric had actually been there, and that she had not just experienced the most intensely erotic dream of her entire life.

That was when Sookie saw the shirt he had been wearing before their evening began, lying on the floor. She remembered taking it off, though his pants were merely shoved down, but left there as she was too impatient to remove his boots.

Sighing in relief that the night had actually happened, and Eric was just being his usual, overly theatrical self; Sookie picked up the discarded shirt and pulled it over her shoulders. Her towel was still damp and lying on the floor next to the bed, but she ignored it and flopped back onto the mattress.

She would need to give Eric a lesson on how to depart properly!

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

**-ANDI**


	14. Chapter 13

My Angel

_A/N: Good morning, everyone! I am here with the latest chapter! Ready for reading!?_

_This chapter was written, proof-read, edited, rewritten, and thoroughly re-examined by me! Any errors: spelling/grammatical/continuity or otherwise are mine and mine alone!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Thirteen: Last and First/Day and Night**

Sookie awoke groggy. It had taken her forever to fall asleep after Eric left, even though her body was exhausted from what he had done to her. The adrenaline rush of determining whether she had dreamt their night of intimacy had left her too wired to fall back asleep, and it had almost been dawn by the time she calmed enough to pass back out.

Now, she was taking a shower, and the hot spray was lulling her back into a dream like state, which had Gran knocking at the door worriedly again.

"Sookie, dear?" Gran's voice carried through the door once more.

"Yeah, yeah," Sookie mumbled over the shower's spray. "Sorry, just can't wake up," she yawned wide and coughed as she inhaled a few droplets. She was still coughing when she came down, dressed for work.

Gran sighed as she handed her granddaughter a plate of food for the last time as a resident of her house, "Are you excited about your last day?" she asked.

Sookie smiled tiredly, "Yeah." She yawned and coughed a bit again, "I'm going to bring some boxes down before I leave. That way I can pack up my car after work, and not run up and down the stairs."

"Well, if you get the heavy ones down first, I can bring down anything you didn't get while you're at work." Gran sipped her coffee.

"Oh, you don't have to do that!"

"I want to, Dear." Gran smiled, "I want to help you set out on your new life!"

Sookie smiled, but then frowned as the phone rang. She could not imagine what sort of gossip had happened before the weekend officially began.

Gran shuffled over to the phone and picked it up, "Hello?" Her eyes widened, "Jason!" Sookie grimaced. It was about damned time he called Gran! After all of the convincing that he was all right that Sookie had to do from the time they were at the climbing tree, she thought he would be on his way sooner than he apparently was. "Where are you?" Gran snarled into the phone before her jaw dropped in shock, "_Chicago?_ Why?" Another pause and the old woman's eyes widened comically, "Oh, Jason! I'm so proud of you! You better make sure you call me _at least_ three times a week!" There was a long pause as Jason talked to her, "All right, Darlin', you be safe up there, and you buy a nice big winter coat. I hear they have frigid winters up there!" she informed him. "Oh, that's nice, Dear. Already? I'm so proud of you!"

They gabbed for another twenty minutes, and Sookie had excused herself silently to begin moving boxes. When the two hung up, Gran came to the staircase and began telling Sookie all about her talk with Jason.

"Jason's enrolled for some summer classes at a college in Chicago," she said excitedly. "It's even a college I've heard of! Just a small community one to get his prerequisites out of the way. He says he's going to transfer the credits when he goes for his degree in construction management. He has a job for a drywalling company, too!"

"That's amazing, Gran!" Sookie called as she came down the stairs with two boxes stacked on top of each other. "He's all right up there?"

"He sounded very excited." Gran was grinning widely.

"I wonder what brought this on?" Sookie set the boxes down with a huff before turning to jog back upstairs and grab another pair.

"He told me how tired he was of his reputation here, and how he wanted to shirk it off and start fresh." Gran explained, "I think it was very smart of him. He's done enough sewing of his wild oats. He needed to grow up."

Sookie could not agree more as she came back down the stairs. She only had two more boxes to go. Her gran was a master at packing boxes to capacity. All she would need to grab after work were her toiletries that she did not feel like stowing away just yet. She was leaving all of her furniture behind, so thankfully, all of her important possessions would fit in her car.

"He said he'll call very often now that he's settled in," Gran continued.

"Awesome," Sookie mumbled going over her stuff once more.

Gran narrowed her eyes at Sookie's back, "You knew. Didn't you?"

Sookie's back hunched guiltily, "Yeah," she admitted reluctantly. "He didn't want me to tell you until he was gone 'cause he was afraid if you said you were proud of him before he actually did it, he would lose his motivation to actually do it."

Gran puffed out her chest proudly, "Good, he's finally recognizing his flaws."

Sookie chuckled at that, "I guess so."

{†}

There was something strange about the last hour of Sookie's final shift at Merlotte's. Maybe it was the fact that she had never fathomed leaving the bar, and now it was happening. Perhaps it was everyone's lackluster emotions at her imminent departure. It could have even been the fact that she was working with mostly new people, and they could not care less that she was leaving.

Regardless of what made her last shift so underwhelming, Sookie could not help but feel sad that no one seemed to care. It was all she could do not to throw down her apron and say, "fuck the last hour, I'm out." Of course, she was a hard worker and a lady, so she would never do such a thing. Still, as the last twenty minutes trickled away, she wished desperately that someone would at least pretend to care.

That was when Sam came in with a wide stretch, having just returned from a nap after opening up the bar for the day. He usually did this: unlocked everything, and just let his reliable staff do the rest before returning to his trailer for a good five hours of sleep.

"Hi, Sam." Sookie tried to keep the coldness out of her voice, but his raised eyebrows proved that she had failed to do so.

"Hi, Cher." He smiled at her. "Can you take out the kitchen garbage real quick? It looked pretty full when I came in."

Sookie sneered to herself. _If it looked full when you came in, why didn't you just freakin' empty it yourself?_ She thought bitterly, but sighed at her fowl mood. It was not like her to nitpick or think herself above such mundane tasks.

Then again, no one caring about her moving away seemed just as peculiar as her horrible attitude.

Going to the kitchen, Sookie took the full liner from the garbage and tied it off, nearly having to drag it out the back door and to the dumpster. When she returned, she ducked into the ladies' room to wash her hands before returning to the floor.

Before she could walk through the doors, her telepathy picked up several more heads in the room than when she had left. _Great, and now we're having a rush for the last fifteen minutes when it's been dead all day and I earned nothing in tips_.

As she pushed the doors open, Sookie let out a scream as all of her friends and regular customers yelled "Surprise!" with a big banner that said, "GOOD LUCK, SOOKIE" held in front of them.

Sookie began to cry at the thoughtfulness, regretting every ill thought she had the entire morning. Her friends and coworkers all gave her big hugs, and there was even a cake that Lafayette brought in. Of course it was not a large gathering, but the people she had hoped all day to see were there, and she could not have wanted for anything more.

"Sorry we gave you the shitty new people to work with on your last day, but you're impossible to surprise," Tara hugged her best friend. One of the new girls gave a huff at the woman's comment, and Tara snapped, "Shut it, Silicone Sally. You can't even serve a beer without knockin' it all over with them fake tits."

Sookie gaped in horror at her friend's lashing comment. "Tara!" she gasped.

"Oh shut up. It was hilarious. Sally don't actually care. She's proud of them big, fake titties."

"Oh my, gosh, Tara. Stop!" Sookie clamped her hands over the other woman's mouth to silence her. "You're gonna get murdered after I'm gone. Who's gonna shut you up when you've said way too much to the wrong person?"

"Gran, probably," Tara shrugged and this made Sookie laugh.

Everyone had cake and a drink on the house since Sookie's fan club was not particularly large, and Sam was feeling generous. By the time she left, the second shift was cleaning up the small mess, and Sookie hugged everyone once more before saying her goodbyes with promises to check in often. It was, after all, only a move to Shreveport.

When Sookie arrived back home, she got her six, bulky boxes into the car, hugged and kissed Gran, and headed towards the door. Before she could step out, she turned to the old woman and softly requested, "Say it, Gran? One more time?"

Gran smiled knowingly, came to the doorway and tilted Sookie's face down to plant a kiss on her forehead, "You will _always_ find me." The granddaughter smiled brightly at the phrase and stole one last hug before turning herself to the car. She froze in the doorway for a moment, taking a deep breath.

Then, a tiny shove. Enough to push Sookie from the threshold. The woman spun around, but Gran was nowhere to be seen. Smiling to herself, Sookie strolled over to her car, got in, and drove off to Shreveport.

{†}

Eric groaned as he saw yet another patron go to the bar to complain about their drink. He had rotated several of his vampires, and not a one knew how to properly mix a cocktail. The Viking had entertained the thought of doing it himself, but the idea of serving the humans made his jaw clench involuntarily. He had a bartender on the way from California, but he would not be arriving for another two evenings, and Eric seriously considered closing the bar until he arrived.

To make matters worse, the vampire he had at the front door had already let three underage clubbers in, and Eric had to swiftly kick them right back out.

Rubbing his tense brow, Eric just wanted his evening at Fangtasia to be over. However, he could feel Sookie growing closer, and he delighted at the idea of finally seeing her in his club. Hence, why he had not just kicked everyone out and called it an evening already.

Her scent was the first indicator that she was in the building. The next was the flash of blonde hair amongst a sea of black and deep crimson. Finally, she was standing in front of him wearing, a black and purple dress that, had it not been for the color scheme, she would have stood out like a sore thumb in Fangtasia.

"So, what do you think?" Eric asked, his hands folding in his lap.

Sookie looked around, "I think your bartender needs a break. Want me to step in over there?"

Eric frowned at the idea, "Sookie, I did not ask you to take this job to be a waitress again..." It was a tempting proposition though. She had worked in a bar for years, and had to be more skilled as a mixologist than his vampires that had not tasted alcohol in centuries. There were a few, like Long Shadow and the vamp from California, who had mastered the ability to both mix and discover new beverages, but most vampires never felt compelled to do so.

"Just until you get a replacement," she assured.

"If you insist," Eric sighed, watching Sookie _skip_ to the bar. Yes, his lover had just skipped through a vampire bar.

"All right," Sookie tapped the vampire on the shoulder, "I'm tagging you out." She fell into her element fiercely, as if she had something to prove, and prove she did.

Her telepathy came in handy far better than she expected. If she forgot who received which drinks, she plucked it from their heads. If she did not know how to make a drink, well, she just took that information too.

Drinks were up, and money exchanged faster than they had been since the departure of Long Shadow and Pam. Things were finally functioning properly, and Eric could actually relax, knowing his little lover had remedied a problem he had been having since a week before.

When the club was closing down, Eric went over to Sookie and smiled at her. They were alone at the bar as the remaining staff went about cleaning up what could not wait until morning, and Sookie wiped down the bar top.

"Well, who is saving whom now?" Eric asked amusedly. "I do not suppose you would be agreeable to working the bar tomorrow night, would you?"

"Like I said, I'm your bartender until you get a real replacement, and not some stand ins," she smiled at him.

"I hired one. He arrives Sunday night, which is a night we close early. We are only open until midnight then," he explained. "Tomorrow will be a long night for you, though."

Sookie snorted, "Eric I worked eleven to six, went to Gran's, grabbed my boxes, drove to Shreveport, unloaded my boxes, showered, dressed and came to work here from nine until three in the morning. Do you think I can't handle just a nine til three tomorrow?"

"With what I intended on doing to you tonight? Probably not." At her wide eyes he hissed smoothly, "You _promised_. Remember?" Sookie's face flushed prettily, and she flicked her hair from her eyes where it had been coming undone.

"Which reminds me: we have to work on your goodbyes. I spent nearly fifteen minutes trying to figure out if I had the mother of all dreams, or if you had actually been there when you left like that," she huffed.

Eric chuckled at that, "Oh, I was definitely there. So were you. Your clothes were not, but I preferred it that way." Sookie blushed at his words, but that made Eric chuckle. "You were so brazen last night. What happened to _that_ Sookie?"

With a huff, Sookie crossed her arms over her chest as she looked around the club at the three human employees on clean up duty, "What happened to keeping our situation on the down low? You're being pretty brazen yourself; talking like that where anyone could hear. Or are you planning on glamouring them to forget what they heard?"

Eric smirked, "Well, considering the actions I have taken recently, I am far less concerned about being seen with you in such a manner."

"What actions?" Sookie frowned, looking at him curiously.

"The illusion of your employment is no longer necessary. It has been made known that I am training you to be my Maker's. No one would try and take you from him. Not only because it would be suicide to try, but because he is most revered."

Sookie bulked at the insinuation, "Training me?" she snapped. "Training me for what?"

Eric laughed at her anger, "Training you to be his mistress, of course."

Rising from her seat, Sookie stomped towards the door that lead to the hall of his office, "I want to talk to you privately," she demanded, and Eric followed, preparing for another irrational outburst from his Sookie.

When they were in Eric's office, Sookie's arms crossed over her chest, and she spoke with a surprisingly light amount of anger, "Explain," she commanded.

Eric tilted his head before he began, "The vampire I serve was interested in you. I sent William Compton back to her with the information that you were under my protection. Since she has respect for me as a Sheriff and for my great displays of past loyalty, she suggested a compromise that we share you. My only course of action was to ask Godric to lay claim on you. He did so, and now you are without worry for another abduction. Compton has been removed from my area, along with his _friends_."

"That Liam guy and the rest of his nest?" Sookie guessed, and Eric nodded his confirmation. "So now, the vampire world thinks you're preparing me to be the mistress of your Maker, and they won't come after me again..?"

"That is correct." Sookie sneered at the idea. "Just as your employment was meant for an illusion- so is this."

"But since Godric's so important, doesn't he have even _more_ enemies than you?" she asked worriedly.

Eric shook his head, "My Maker is on much more amicable terms with vampire regents and ancients. He is seen as a very advantageous ally, and for me as a Child, a rather dangerous one to cross."

"What makes you so impressive if Godric's so much older?"

The vampire smirked darkly, "I have been known to take out ancients nearly twice my age. Of course Russel Edgington and my Maker would be impossible for me to eliminate, however, I would not wish to try. I love Godric, and Russel has been nothing but useful in the past. Those are the only two on this entire continent that I could not find some means of destroying, and everyone knows that. Which is what gives me far more enemies. A vampire who can kill those older than himself is much more dangerous than ones who are merely older."

"So, no one wants to cross Godric out of respect, and no one wants to cross you out of blind fear." Sookie nodded with understanding, "But when we are Bonded-"

"When?" Eric interrupted her with surprise as Sookie clamped her hand over her mouth as a deep flush covered her entire face. He wondered only momentarily if she was going to tell him that she loved him, "Sookie, are you-"

"Shut up!" she gasped into her hand. The telepath had not meant to say that at all!

"Sookie," Eric closed the distance between them, "are you willing to become my Bonded?"

Her eyes shied away, "It was a slip of the tongue," she mumbled. "I wanted to say 'if we were to Bond'."

"If we were to Bond?" He waited for her to continue and not press upon her tangle of words. She either was not ready to admit it to him, or had not yet realized it, herself. Still, Eric's chest was filled with warmth and anticipation.

"Wouldn't people realize that you had lied?"

"It would not matter, but there are always excuses. Godric gifting you to me, or recognizing that our training had changed into something else and allowing me to keep you. It would not matter what we said. Once you were my Mate, you would have Godric's full protection. If someone killed you, they would go to trial under the Ancient Pythoness. If that were to happen and it were discovered that your murder was a plot by many, all those involved would be executed," he explained. "As I said: Bonding is not a matter to take lightly," his voice was very firm as he said that. "So, remember to choose your words carefully in the future."

Sookie nodded slowly, "Okay."

Eric waited for her to continue, or for her anger to flare as he expected. When nothing happened, he asked, "Okay?"

Sookie nodded and then laughed at his confused expression, "Were you expecting a Sookie Tantrum?" she asked knowingly.

"Actually, yes," he confessed.

"Well," she smiled gently, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I think I'm done with all that. I mean, I'll still fight with you all the time, and I'll definitely get mad at you a lot because you can be so irritating and smug. But, I think I'm done with storming out or pushing you away. I always miss you when I do, and it wounds my pride every time I have to crawl back and apologize. I'd rather duke it out all at once, find acceptance, or help you see my point of view."

"First day in a new home, and you have already grown up so much," Eric teased.

The woman pouted slightly, shaking her head to flip her golden hair over her shoulder, "Well, maybe it's just hard growing up where you've always been a child..."

Eric came to her, wrapping his arms over her hips. "Perhaps, but to be perfectly honest, I think I am finished talking for the night. It is already nearly 3:30, which barely gives me two hours to make you live up to your promise last night. Such a cheater, you are."

"_Here_?" she asked nervously, looking around his office.

Eric shook his head, "No, I will take you back to your apartment. There is a safe room for me to spend the day in at your building," he told her, taking Sookie's hand and leading her out to the parking lot and to his Corvette.

"Wow, so this is your favorite car?" she asked as Eric opened the door and held her hand as she fell into the seat.

"Yes," he nodded, coming around to get in the car. He wasted no time breaking all of the suggested speed limits.

"Why do you have a safe room in my apartment building?" she asked, her knuckles white in her clenched hands from his speed.

"For nights such as these, when I do not want to leave you," Eric replied.

"You planned for stuff like this even before I knew I liked you?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, because I knew I wanted you, and I always plan for the future I want," he smiled, and it made her grin right back. "Now, enough stalling." He had arrived at her apartment so quickly that Sookie was surprised she had relaxed so much with his speed during their conversation.

Sookie let him practically drag her to the elevator, and before the doors had closed, he wrapped his arms around her and began kissing at her neck. The woman giggled at his enthusiasm, holding the nape of his neck as she nibbled her bottom lip at the attention her throat was receiving.

Despite her age, and constant daydreaming of a situation such as this, it still made her feel an adolescent thrill that was tinged with apprehension. Though she had made a good show the night before of not being so shy about her body, in reality, that self-consciousness was still there. It was easy to forget in the middle of the night, having been awoken so abruptly before she was conscious enough to notice much else than a seductive, sexy vampire in her bedroom. However, right now, her heart was pounding, and only the murmurs of her beauty he had uttered the previous night kept her mind in the slightest state of ease.

"Do not get shy on me now," Eric said knowingly when he drew her thigh over his hip and pressed against her. He could feel her emotions becoming more and more tentative as the elevator drew closer to her floor.

"Ah," she whimpered over the blunt toothed bite he planted on her throat. "I can't help it," she admitted.

"That is two things, then, that you are completely oblivious about. Your safety and your beauty." He pressed more firmly into her. "What makes you so uncertain about your body, Lover?"

Sookie thought about that, and all she could think of were the rail thin girls that always seemed to have a gaggle of men following them. If she were so beautiful, why had no one ever chased after her? She had been thought of graphically, but that had meant nothing. Her breasts were impressive, and that was always the focus of any admirer's thoughts.

"The only thing alluring about me is my boobs," she told him.

Eric pulled away and raised his eyebrows at her just as the elevator "dinged" their arrival to her floor. He said nothing as they went to her door and she unlocked it. Once they were in her apartment, Eric lead her straight to her bedroom and pushed her onto the mattress.

"You have decided then," he said cryptically.

"Decided _what_?" she asked as his fingers went to run over the bodice of her dress.

"How I plan to ravish you. I am going to worship every part of your body, and make you realize just how desirable every inch of you is," he explained before undressing her so quickly that she could not fathom how the dress was still in one piece. "Since you only think your breasts are worthy, they will have to be one of the last portions to receive my attention."

Sookie laughed at his serious tone, but her laughter faded as Eric began stripping down. Her mouth slung open as each section of pale, hard, flawless skin was exposed, and she wondered how he managed to hide his perfection from her. Later she would remember that their times together before had been in the dark, and this time the bedroom's light was on.

"Now that's not fair," Sookie smirked playfully. "How do you expect me to feel sexy when I've got a perfect replica of a Norse God in my bedroom?"

Eric chuckled as he crawled over her body, and covered her lips with his own. "Because this Norse God does not have the fullest, most delicious lips like a certain Southern Belle he is kissing," he said against her mouth, and Sookie's arms wrapped around his neck as he returned to massaging her lips with his.

Sookie could feel the solid length of Eric's member hardening against her stomach as he kissed her, and it gave the woman a jolt of excitement to know that just holding her and kissing her could arouse him. As he murmured his praises of her exquisite jawline while planting butterfly kisses along its curve, she crooned happily.

The vampire explored every inch of her skin, telling her how delicious her sun kissed flesh tasted, and how flawlessly smooth it was. He worked his way down her body, skipping her breasts, to her dismay, and licked the well of her bellybutton. His mouth nibbled and caressed with its tongue all across the expanse of her soft tummy. All the while he told her how inviting her softness was, how the allure of her round hips made him crave her.

Next, he squeezed her thighs, his tongue laving across the blue vein while he worked towards her knees and strong calves. He spent a while rubbing her feet and commenting on how soft they were despite running around a bar all day and night. Working his way back up the other leg, Eric repeated many of the same ministrations as the first before enveloping her wet center with his lips.

"You taste divine," he groaned between laps of his tongue. Sookie cried out gently as her body arched. His arms slid beneath her thighs and then rose cup and knead at her breasts while he tormented her weeping sex.

"Eric!" she moaned as he pinched and plucked at her nipples. His tongue burrowed into her hot, little channel, and the woman wriggled her bottom against the sensation, twisting and pushing towards the motions. "Ah! I'm goin' crazy!" she cried as her back arched harder.

Finally, his mouth encased her throbbing bundle of nerves, and Sookie yelped at his aggressive torments. He tapped and slid his tongue over her clit in such a rapt staccato that her body jolted continually under his practiced technique.

Over and over she found release until her legs bowed, and her lungs could not obtain enough oxygen to feed another release. Panting, shivering, and exhausted, Sookie watched as Eric rose above her once more and kissed the side of her mouth.

"Do you doubt my desire for your body any longer?" he asked in such a way that he seemed to hope that she did so he could continue proving her wrong.

"As much... As much as I wanna say "yes"," she gasped into his ear, "just so you keep goin'... I don't think I can... I can take anymore." Eric chuckled before giving her a short, but meaningful kiss. "What time... is it?" she was slowly regaining her breath.

"Almost six," he replied.

Sookie tilted her mouth to kiss him before asking, "How much longer do I get to keep you?"

Eric smiled at her, "About another half an hour. A little less."

"Do we have time to..." she trailed off and glanced at his erection pointedly.

Shaking his head, Eric informed her, "Definitely not," he shook his head. "If I had that sweet mouth or pussy around me, I could not make myself leave in such a short amount of time."

"Hmm, maybe a night that we don't go to Fangtasia..?" she hinted.

"Perhaps, but it might be a while before that happens." He turned onto his side and pulled Sookie against his chest. His hand began stroking her hair as he continued, "With Pam gone, I will need to be there most nights. I cannot take any nights off until Cho has had a few days to acclimate. Even then, without Pam to delegate my duties as Sheriff to, I cannot be absent for long from my office."

"Is Cho the new bartender?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Cool. Is he any good?"

"He came highly recommended," Eric nodded.

"What nights do you want me there?" she asked.

"Tomorrow night for certain, so long as you are still willing to tend the bar?"

"Absolutely. It was a lot of fun, and a lot easier than I thought it would be," she told him.

"I am glad that you enjoyed yourself," he smiled, remembering how excited she had been tonight while serving drinks. "After tomorrow, I suppose we could discuss your schedule. You may come whenever you wish, honestly. What you will be doing is more of a perk than anything. I would like if you were there for Fridays and Saturdays since they are our busiest nights."

Sookie nodded, "I could do that. It's not like I have an active social life. I'll probably visit Gran in Bon Temps on Mondays and Wednesdays, but that would be during the daytime." She frowned, "Do I still have Were guards?" Eric nodded. "Dang, they must be really discreet! I haven't noticed them at all! How will they follow me when I'm driving?"

"They know how to do surveillance tailing. Do not concern yourself with them, Sookie. The last thing you want is to interact with them."

"Why?"

"Because it means that you are in danger, or are injured. One of your guards is an actual guard, but the other is a trained field medic," he explained.

"Wow. You were serious when you picked them."

"Very," he assured. "You may begin noticing them with your telepathy now that you are in the city. In the back woods of Bon Temps, they could be in wolf form without causing alarm. Now that you are in the city, they will not be able to transform." Sookie nodded in understanding.

They talked until the sun grew closer and closer to the horizon. Eventually, Eric tucked an extremely exhausted Sookie into bed and locked her door before heading to the secret room in the building's basement. It was secured with several systems to prevent unwelcome entry, so he was highly assured that there would be no accidents while he rested there.

As Eric locked himself away, he laid on the floor and smiled at the night he had. In that moment he was grateful that he was completely unaware for the day, and that the sun would render him dead rather than needing to find sleep like a mortal. If that had not been the case, he would have been unable to sleep at all. Thinking of Sookie would have made it impossible.

Even as he died for the day, his final thought was about how he could not wait to see her that evening.

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW, EVERYONE! I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF YOUR INPUT, SUSPICIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS!**

**-Andi**


	15. Chapter 14

My Angel

_A/N: Welcome to chapter fourteen, everyone! Please enjoy, and remember: all errors grammatical, spelling, continuity or otherwise are mine and mine alone!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Fourteen: **Love, **Love, ****_Love_**

Sookie picked halfheartedly at her chicken. Gran had gone above and beyond her lunch preparation this Wednesday, and the granddaughter wished she were in a good enough mood to appreciate it.

The grandmother groaned at the younger woman's temperament, and asked with irritation, "Did you and Eric have _another_ fight?"

"No." Actually, they had not fought at all in weeks other than their usual banter, but that was just for fun in their eyes. Sookie pretended to consider her chicken rather intensely as she truly contemplated her fowl mood.

She had been living in Shreveport for a little over five weeks. There had been several dates between her and Eric in that time, and he came over regularly after Fangtasia to "play". Unfortunately, that was all he would do was _play_. Sookie was ready for more! She wanted to finally have sex- hopefully before her twenty-sixth birthday which was creeping steadily nearer and nearer. Sookie knew she had given him all the right signals, and on several occasions, tried to sneakily engage him in sex. Nothing worked, and he always managed to find some excuse as to why they should not have sex that night. Even more annoying was that his excuses were always reasonable ones that she could not say he was lying.

_Damn him and that talented mouth of his,_ her thoughts grumbled as she recollected how he would distract her with oral sex until too close to dawn for her to have him completely._ He does that on purpose, and worse yet, he knows I can't say no to it!_ Just the memory of his mouth against her sex was enough to cause an inappropriate reaction in front of her grandmother.

"So," Sookie changed the subject, "any news on Jason?" She was desperate to distract herself with a topic that could NEVER arouse her in a trillion years.

Gran lit up at the topic, "Oh, he's doing fine. Says he's surprised he's doing well in the math classes, but he said he's having fun actually paying attention in school for a change," she chuckled. "It's amazing how much he grew up in a month."

"Has he been seeing anyone?" Sookie asked knowingly.

"Actually," Gran frowned, "he said he's been staying away from girls all together for the moment. He said he doubts he can hold himself back properly yet."

Sookie's mouth slung open, making the grandmother laugh. Only, Sookie's jaw had not slackened at the news that her brother was attempting celibacy, but because Gran's comment had brought Sookie to a realization about Eric; a realization as to why he had not made love to her yet. He had explained over a month ago that he would be unable to refrain from biting her if they had sex, and he had made it all too clear that if they were Bonded, he would insist on turning her.

_Eric's trying to stave off our first mutual blood exchange,_ she realized, and her eyes watered briefly as she tore into her chicken at last. A powerful emotion swept through her as she tried to hide the tears from Gran. It began in her stomach and seemed to encase her heart, but Sookie knew it had nothing to do with the "secret seasoning" Gran put in the chicken crust to give it some heat._ Oh my God, I think I just fell in love_...

"I know my cooking's the best in Louisiana, Dear, but is it really inspiring tears?" Gran laughed at her granddaughter's expression.

"Gran!" Sookie looked up from her meal, "I'm in love!"

"With my recipe?" Gran asked in confusion.

"No! Well, yeah, but that's not why I'm crying!" Sookie told her, "I'm in love with Eric!"

"You are only just realizing this?" Gran chuckled making Sookie pout. "Well, I suppose it takes a little while to recognize love the first time around."

Sookie tilted her head, "Were you in love with someone before Granddaddy?"

Adele sighed, "I suppose I was."

"Who was he? How did you end up with Granddaddy instead?" Sookie did not want to mention Fintan just yet.

Gran smiled wanly, "He did not exist, I suppose. I never met him, but there was this thought in my head when I first met my future husband... All I could think was that if I fell in love with Earl Stackhouse, I would be happy, but not as happy as I could be." Gran shrugged, "And I did love my husband, very much."

"What about Fintan. Did you love him?" Sookie asked.

Gran shook her head, "No. I won't lie. I had lust for him, but I could resist that. I couldn't resist the opportunity to have babies though. I guess you could say Fintan was a sin that I didn't mind committing to get what I wanted."

"So, the first man you loved was one in your imagination?" Sookie tried to figure out.

Gran blushed slightly, "I suppose so. I had an imaginary friend when I was a child. He grew up with me in my head, but he was always the same age. I remember having to hide that I believed in him as I got older. When I turned fifteen and Granddaddy Stackhouse asked me out on a first date, my imaginary friend would smile and encourage me to go. So I went on dates with Earl, and each time I did, my imaginary friend would seem to become less and less vivid. Eventually, he looked like a ghost, but he was smiling before he completely disappeared. The last thing I ever heard from him was: "you will always find me"."

"Is _that_ why you say that?" Sookie asked.

Gran chuckled, "Yes. I suppose I took to saying that because before I went to bed each night, or woke up from a dream about him, that was what he would say." Gran shook her head at the silly memories, "It was almost like that phrase was extremely important, and he wanted me to burn it into my memory. Maybe so I would never forget him- even if it was just that catch phrase..."

"What did your imaginary friend look like?" Sookie asked curiously.

The old woman sighed before admitting that she could no longer remember, "But his voice will ring in my ears forever. I could never forget that voice. Like he knew everything in the world..."

{†}

Sookie walked into Fangtasia with a new swish to her walk. She was on a mission tonight, and for the first time in weeks, it was not concerning changing Eric's mind about sex.

Against all protocol, Sookie strolled up to Eric's dais without waiting for him to admit her access; she straddled his lap and kissed his surprised lips.

"Sookie-"

"I love you." Eric's mouth fell subtly, and Sookie smiled at the reaction. "I'm sorry for breaking all the rules tonight," she whispered, "but I've had time to think, and talk things out. You're a huge jerk, we fight all the time, and you can be obnoxious and so conceited that I want to rip out my hair... But you're only a jerk when I do something stupid, fighting with you gets me hot, your obnoxiousness makes me smile, and you're so good at everything that I guess you have a reason to be cocky." She leaned her forehead against his and she told him gently, "And I want an eternity of becoming less stupid. An eternity of yelling and screaming at you only to be yelling and screaming your name later when you make me come. I want to laugh at all of the annoying things you do, and pinch you whenever you get too full of yourself. Forever."

Eric stared at her for a long moment before he asked, "Are you telling me what I pray that you are?"

"I think so," she teased. "I want to start exchanging blood with you, become your Bonded, and someday, I want to cross over and stay with you forever. You wouldn't insist on changing me right away, right? How about when I'm twenty-nine? Then I never have to lie about my age," she bit her tongue between her teeth playfully.

"What brought all of this on?" he asked, his emotions racing with happiness, excitement, and a tinge of suspicion. Sookie was quite impulsive by nature, and he wanted to be certain she had considered the ramifications of her decision.

"Well, I realized this afternoon at lunch with Gran, that I was in love with you. I mean, I always think I knew I was, but I finally _felt_ it." Sookie pondered back, "And then, after I realized that, everything else was much easier to come to. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Why wouldn't I make that as long as possible and become a vampire?"

Eric wrapped his arms around the small blonde in his lap and hugged her tightly to himself. "I love you," he murmured into her ear.

"I still want to take everything slowly, though," she told him. "I like the pace we're moving at. I mean, I want to see you a lot more, and I want to keep moving forward... I just like that I've gotten to know you, and I want to keep doing that."

"I agree." He nodded against the side of her face. "However," he pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, the look in his eyes on fire, "I am going to make love to you tonight," he said plainly, "and we will have our first mutual exchange." Eric smashed his mouth to hers with such an intensity that the woman in his lap practically melted to the floor. She could feel every bone in her body going to jelly as his tongue caressed the inside of her mouth, and she wondered how she was going to walk out of this club on her own. When he pulled away from her lips he murmured, "You realize that you are stuck in my lap from now on, yes?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked dazedly.

"Protocol has been broken. The fangbangers will start thinking they can approach me in such a manner now. You do not want slews of men and women doing what you just did, do you?" Sookie's expression clearly stated that she did not want that, "Then, make yourself comfortable." He loosened his posture so that Sookie could wriggle into an cozy pose, "You are stuck here for the next three hours."

"Uhg. What if I have to pee?"

"Hold it."

"For three hours?" she asked in disbelief.

"You should have thought about that before crawling into my lap," he teased.

"Well, I don't have to go..."

"Then why did you bring it up?" Eric asked.

"Conversation?"

"You wish to converse about your bodily functions?" His eyebrows rose at that.

Sookie groaned, "There's that obnoxiousness I was talking about."

"Yes, but you _love it_."

{†}

Sookie chewed her lip excitedly as Eric drove her home in her car. She could think of nothing to talk about as Eric's hand on her thigh was a sweet distraction to concentrate on, and she began stroking her fingertips over the back of his hand to communicate silently. It was the longest ride of her life, waiting for them to arrive at her apartment.

Eric's expression was a nice distraction in itself. He had the slightest of smirks tilting at the corner of his mouth, as if he had known all of the patience he had shown for nearly two months had finally added up and brought him his reward.

Yes, through two months of Sookie's hesitation, anger, accusations and suspicions, Eric had endured. He had pushed where he needed to and coaxed as was necessary, but ultimately he had achieved his goal. He had earned her love even after defusing her immediate, but false, infatuation with him. It had been grueling for him to transform her fantasy into a reality, but well worth the result. She was in love with him now, and only him. No longer did she pine for her imagined version of her guardian angel. Now she longed for the reality of her guardian devil.

"Sookie?"

"Huh?" she asked dazedly after getting lost in comprehending that beautiful smirk of his.

"We are here," he told her.

"Oh!" She looked out the window and smiled at her apartment building. The vampire was around the car and opening her door for her before Sookie had undone her seatbelt. When she took his offered hand out of the car, the telepath beamed at the warmth she felt in her stomach.

Their entire trip up the elevator was passed with long, languid kisses, only ending when the bell dinged, and they were able to go to her door. Once inside the apartment, it was all Sookie could do not to rip her vampire's clothes off of him and ravish that perfect body she had been dreaming of far too often.

"Sookie, slow!" Eric laughed at her enthusiasm when her fingers tried to yank his shirt up.

"Two months, Eric. We've gone slow enough," she insisted, pulling at the tail of his shirt.

He laughed again and took her impatient hands into his own, kissing the insides of both wrists, "Do you really want fast and forgettable? Would you not rather savor the first time?"

The woman pouted, but stopped trying to yank away his clothing, "Fine, you set the pace then 'cause if you leave it to me we'd be having sex five minutes ago."

His response was to grin before he leaned in to kiss her again. Slowly, he lifted Sookie into his arms and carried the woman into her bedroom. She was laid out on the bed, but nothing progressed as she imagined it would.

Rather than joining her on the bed, Eric walked about her room, finding candles that he lit with a Fangtasia matchbook that was in his pocket. He popped open the top of the CD player on her dresser, examining what was inside. Discovering a Michelle Branch album, Eric shrugged before closing the top and starting the disc. The first song, Everywhere, was a bit of a faster tempo than he would have preferred, but Sookie's music collection was not extensive. At the very least, at least the theme of the album fit with the mood he wanted to create.

Before returning to the bed, Eric glanced at the lighting. It was a bit too dull for Sookie to appreciate everything her senses could absorb. Going to the light switch, he raised the dimmer a bit to allow his lover to seen everything he would do to her, while still allowing the alluring flicker of candlelight.

Returning to bed after initially depositing Sookie upon it, Eric laid down beside her, taking the woman's face in his hands. Both of them remained clothed as Eric kissed her without any signs of stopping, and his hands chose to wander her clothed body rather than disrobe it.

Sookie mewled and arched into his caresses, forcing herself not to resort to undressing them herself. She had given Eric the reigns, and if he decided their clothing would remain for now, then remain it would.

One of his hands was at her thigh now, massaging the back of it, working its way higher and higher. Instinctively, Sookie parted her legs, but Eric merely hooked her knee over his hip and slid his hand back up her side.

Sookie sighed into his mouth in a strange culmination of frustration and arousal. Everything he was doing felt wonderful and romantic, but typical Stackhouse impatience was rearing its ugly, little head. To keep her hands out of trouble, Sookie buried them in Eric's hair, tangling her fingers in the strands and tugging fiercely, as if trying to motivate an increase in pace.

When Eric finally began migrating towards the zipper at her side, Sookie flexed her knee and ground his hips hard against her own approvingly. Eric chuckled against her lips as he slowly pulled the zipper down and tugged her dress from her hips. Sookie wriggled beneath him urgently, kicking the garment away as if it were on fire. After it had flown across the room, her legs wrapped around his hips, and hugged him tightly to her body.

The vampire could not have been more amused as he finally kissed down her chin and began to suckle at her throat. He heard her growl in his ear, "I don't need foreplay. I'm so ready my panties could dissolve." That statement earned another chuckle from him, but his curious hands could not resist checking the validity of her declaration. As his fingers came in contact with her underwear, he was in definite agreement. He could feel moisture saturating through the fabric.

Leaning back on his knees, Eric looked down at Sookie to marvel at her momentarily. Her breasts were already bared to him, since her dress had been so tight that a bra was unnecessary. All that she lay in were the pink, bikini style panties that were saturated with the evidence of her need.

Getting off of the bed, Eric removed his boots, then his shirt, and finally his pants. Sookie delighted at every new inch of exposed flesh, and when he returned to the bed with her, she began to caress that skin wherever she could reach.

"You're too damn sexy," Sookie told him as he lavished her throat with more caresses of his mouth, and pressed his erection against her hidden core, "and you're drivin' me crazy."

"Turn-about is fair play. You have driven me crazy for five years. I think you can handle another five minutes," he reasoned, and Sookie groaned as his hand began palming her breast.

"So help me, God, if you don't follow through tonight, I'm finding your hiding spot in the morning and having my way with you in your sleep!" she howled.

"Well, I cannot have that, now can I?" he smiled, kissing her neck as he grabbed the side of her panties and yanked so viciously that it tore from her body without any hesitation at all. Sookie yelped at the display, but could not deny that it sent a deep throb resonating throughout her needy channel.

Sookie's feet slid up towards Eric's hips and she used her toes to push his boxer briefs down the perfect sculpture that was his ass. He gave her throat a hard nibble when she did this, but did not try and stop her. Instead, he dipped his hips against hers, and his exposed member met for the first time against her bare womanhood.

The woman gasped at the contact, the sensation of flesh against flesh so different in this context than any of their earlier play had ever been. She whimpered as the length of his flesh glided across her tauntingly, and her legs bowed as wide as they could while still hanging around his waist.

"Eric, please," she crooned, bucking her hips gently towards his. She felt him lowering her onto the bed once more, his groin pressing firmly into her as he rocked their bodies together, "Eric!" she cried as her nails delved into his back.

Slowly, Eric drew his hips back enough to give room to align his cock with the begging folds. Without preamble or warning, without words or questions, he drove the entirety of his length deep inside her welcoming embrace. There was no pain, or discomfort for the woman, only a wail of fulfillment and bliss. Her legs hugged him as she undulated beneath her lover. Her mouth sought his as her nails dug deeper into his back.

This had been worth waiting for, she realized, as he began to take long, luxurious strokes inside of her. The experience of him filling her over and over again had been worth the past month of waiting. She could feel every texture of his stiffness against her inner walls. She could sense every throb he experienced, and every hesitation just before a sharp thrust. His body kept time with the music, somehow finding a slow pace in the quicker tempo of the melody. Everything was perfect, from the lyrics flitting against her eardrums to the gentle flicker of candlelight that amplified the beautiful features of his face. Everything he had done for her this evening created a fulfillment in the woman that she was actually making love. Eric had managed to transform her obsession with finally having sex into a passion for making love to him for the first time.

When Eric pushed in real close and managed to drive just that touch deeper with a forceful buck of his hips that took her breath away, Sookie wanted to lose her mind.

"Again, again, again, again..." she chanted at each dizzying collision that brought tears and stars to her eyes. Sookie could not even look at him, she was so lost in the atmosphere. Her breath could not come fast enough to keep her thoughts coherent. Her world was crumbling away in the most freeing way she could ever know. "Eric," she tensed, her hips twisting to be stroked at just the right angle to find completion, "Eric, I'm-I'm-"

"Yes," Eric agreed with her unspoken conclusion, and the sound of his voice tore a scream from her throat that transformed into a heated snarl as she climaxed. Her nails tore the smooth expanse of his back when she came over the edge. She was oblivious to his own growls as he pumped his spendings into her body, and his mouth descended upon her throat.

Then, she felt the piercing of her neck, and the hard draw of his mouth drinking in her blood. She let out another wail at the sensation, and she tried to silence herself by biting into his shoulder. The action was rewarded with a deep purr in her ear, and the flood of dark, sweet vampire elixir trickling down her throat. She drew upon the wound she had inflicted, earning small quantities of the magical essence, but enough to feel her sexual energy rise once more.

Eric panted above her, feeling more in control of himself than he had in years. The relief of finally claiming what was his reduced his trepidation greatly. He could think clearer in her presence than he ever knew was possible. Even as he took inventory of his self-control, he could feel Sookie writhing beneath him, hyped up on vampire blood and too much energy. Amused at the side-effect of his blood, Eric rolled them over, pulling Sookie atop him.

The woman did not need any prompting other than her vampire saying, "Fuck me, Lover." One of his hands stayed on her hip while the other rose to cup a bouncing breast. It pinched and tugged at the nipple of its captive, and spurred the fairy hybrid into a faster rhythm as she rode him to another completion. As she shivered through her climax, Eric began bucking beneath her, the hand at her hip dipping down to play with her clit and bring on a third and fourth orgasm. Before a fifth could be met, Sookie's body went rigid, and she took his stimulating hand by the wrist and pulled it from her body.

"Stop," she panted, eyes glazed, "I... can't... breathe..."

Eric rolled back on top of her all the while laughing, "We need to work on your endurance, Lover. There is nothing lovelier than your face when you come. I wish to see it over and over." Regardless of the statement, his hips slowed their tempo, and he licked at the wound he had inflicted not too long ago.

"Eric," she swooned at his words, feeling sexier than she ever knew she could.

Their next release was brought on slowly, and Sookie hugged Eric close to her, her body going slack, "Time out," she breathed into his ear.

"Are you all right?" he asked lovingly, stroking the length of her back as she rolled onto her stomach tiredly.

"Uh huh, just wore out," she admitted, "and thirsty."

He kissed her shoulder blade before climbing out of bed, "I will grab a glass of water for you." He was gone and back in a short time, and Sookie accepted the water gratefully.

"Eric?" she asked after finishing her drink.

"Yes, Lover?" He took the glass from her and set it on the nightstand, kissing the side of her mouth softly as he awaited her question.

"Can you hold me for a little bit?" she asked.

Eric smiled at the request, "Of course, Sookie." He laid comfortably on his side before asking, "How do you want to be held?" She pushed his shoulder until he rolled onto his back, and then pillowed her head against his chest. The smile on Eric's lips grew, and his arms wrapped her up in their strong embrace. "Is that good?" he asked and felt her nod against his chest.

"Yeah, very cozy and safe," she said. After a while, she asked conversationally, "How long does it take to Bond?"

"I suppose it could take as little as three days. Why?" he asked.

"It just felt really good to do that blood exchange," she confessed. "I was wondering if there had to be a space between exchanges for it to work."

"Just a day."

"So we could drink from each other again tonight, and it wouldn't be one of the three we needed?"

"Correct, but it would be dangerous for me to drink from you again tonight, or really in the next couple of weeks."

"Why?"

"I was a little over eager to complete my claim. I took too much," he admitted.

"I feel fine."

"You will not in the morning. My blood is still fresh in you. That is what is powering you. It will pass by morning," he explained. "I think you should probably spend the day at home tomorrow."

"So, you don't want me to come to Fangtasia?" she asked.

"If you wish to, by all means, come," Eric shrugged, knowing better than to sound like he was telling her what to do. This was not a circumstance for his role as guard, but one as his role as a lover. Leaving the apartment would not put her in any harm, only a state of sheer exhaustion, "But do not push yourself thinking you are obligated."

"Okay, I'll see how I feel in the morning. If I feel half as bad as you say I will, I won't want to go out anyway," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Am I going to see you at all tomorrow?"

"I will be here first thing in the evening. I do not wish to leave you until I must, so I will go to rest in my secure spot in this building," he told her. "Afterwards, though, I will spend the evening in Fangtasia, and go back to my usual resting space."

"Are you ever going to show me your house?" she asked conversationally, trying not to sound pushy.

"If you wish to, I could take you there later this week. It is not much to speak of. I live rather modestly," he told her.

Sookie snorted, "There's something modest about you?"

The vampire shrugged, "Accommodations are not very important to me. A place to hang my clothes, cleanse my body, and be left in peace. That is all that I really need. There is little need for me to embellish my quarters as you do." He waved his hand at her bedroom that had been adorned with pictures and personal trinkets. "I keep very little, but remember much. My memories have always been the only mementos I have needed."

"Hmm," she snuggled closer to his body, "everything of mine is more like a memory I've stored in something else. With all of the thoughts and memories I see, sometimes it's easy to forget what is mine, and what belongs to someone else. Clippings, pictures, bobbles... They remind me of what is actually _me_."

Eric nodded in understanding, "That makes sense to me. If I were to have your gift, I could see myself doing such things."

"Hey, Eric?"

"Hey, Lover?" he replied, closing his eyes and basking in her warm body against his cool one.

"Is it normal that I haven't had a dream about Bill Compton since that first one?" she asked.

Eric pondered for a moment, "I suppose it might be. Since my blood is older, his seduction could not overcome it. He would still be able to feel you for a while longer if he still resided in Bon Temps, but he has gone back to New Orleans. That is too far for one as young as him, with as little blood as he had in you, to trace."

"Oh, there's a range on the blood sensing thing?" Sookie was surprised.

"Yes. Since my blood is given to you regularly, I have had no problems following you between here and Bon Temps. I could probably track you up to a few hundred miles," he explained.

"What about when we're Bonded? What's the range on that?" she asked curiously.

"There is no range. It is nearly infinite. The only way I could not find you is if you were on another plain of existence, or if the magic of your body was capped."

"Capped?"

Eric thought of the best way to explain this, "You remember a few weeks back when I told you that surviving halves of a Bond rarely survived long past the departure of their mate?" Sookie nodded that she remembered. "Well, in some circumstances, they can undergo a form of very potent magic and have the energy of the Bond sealed. It steals away all of the memories of the Bond, but the years shared between the couple will be lost as well. There is no picking and choosing, those years are sealed away so that they cannot break the spell. Of course, a cap can be broken if a strong enough memory releases it. Usually the voice of your Bonded, but since they are dead, it is impossible. It has happened before, though. During a seance the other half of a Bonded pair spoke while her surviving mate was present. The cap broke, and he went completely insane trying to get to her. He was staked to end the rampage."

"That's so sad," Sookie frowned.

"Yes, and extremely remarkable that the spirit summoned was the only one that could have done such a thing. Even more extraordinary was that the witches who performed the séance were necromancers. They were trying to raise the spirit of a great necromancer and place it in the vampire's body. The results would have been far worse for everyone if his Bonded's spirit had not broken the cap and sent him into a berserker state."

"Berserker state?" Sookie gave him a weird look.

"It is a term we borrowed to describe a Bonded vampire who is on a rampage. It is far greater than mere bloodlust. Bloodlust can be sated, but a berserker will only stop when they are dead or found their mate," he told her.

"I don't think her speaking to him was strange at all," she said firmly after giving the situation consideration.

Eric opened his eyes to glance at her while asking, "Why is that?"

"Well, if she was dead, wouldn't she have sort of "all knowingness"?"

"I suppose."

"So, she knew what those necromancers were doing, and wanted to help," Sookie shrugged.

"So she forfeited her Bonded's existence to help others? Bonded couples are quite selfish about one another, Sookie. I doubt that-"

"That she didn't want to be with him again in the afterlife?" Sookie interrupted. "Maybe this was her way of making her wants a little less selfish. She had him killed so she could be with him again, but she saved lots and lots of people and vampires when she did it."

His eyes softened, "I suppose that does make sense," he agreed. "For someone who claimed not to know what love felt like, you certainly have a firmer grasp on it than I do."

"I don't believe that for a second," Sookie smiled at him lovingly. "I was all ready to throw my first time away with a fast fuck, but you slowed me down. You let me make love my first time, and if you hadn't, I would have realized that I'd lost my chance at something really special. I would have always regretted that." She stroked his chest slowly, her eyes closing as she savored his embrace. "You let me experience so much, gave me so much these past months... I love you for all of it. For pushing me away and holding me close. For letting me scream at you like a spoiled, little kid. Thank you for letting me fall in love with you the right way."

**TBC**

**A/N: Finally got some REAL lemonade! Please show your love with reviews, s'il vous pla****_ît!_**

**_-Andi_**


	16. Chapter 15

My Angel

_A/N: Okay, everyone, I guardedly present you with Chapter fifteen of __My Angel__. This chapter is pretty graphic, as well as does a one-eighty about halfway to the end. I had a rough time writing this one, so please remember to review afterwards because I do not have an A/N reminder at the bottom. _

_-Andi_

**Chapter Fifteen: He Held Me All Night...**

Waking to the dull light of her bedroom, Sookie stretched languidly on her bed. It was almost six in the evening, and Eric had been right about feeling exhausted. She vaguely remembered crawling out of bed once or twice to use the bathroom, but she had no energy to stay awake longer than that.

Her body felt tired, sore and sticky. Surprisingly, despite those unpleasantries, her mind was exulting with the memories of her passionate evening. Even as she rolled out of the soiled bed with a grimace, the flinch could not break the grin on her face.

Lazily, Sookie showered, cleaning her body of its disheveled state before wrapping her hair up in a towel and examining herself. Eric's bite marks were soft scars upon her throat, having mostly healed from his blood. She touched them affectionately, a strange pleasure coursing through her womb at the sensation. The mere memory of his fangs piercing her was enough to make her body anticipate another round with its vampire lover.

Her hand ventured from her throat, down her torso, and towards her mound to find the space between her legs slick with her personal moisture. She was ready for Eric, and all she had done was touched her own throat. Two of her fingers slipped into the inviting wetness, and Sookie's knees trembled as her fingers wriggled inside of her, coaxing more dew to coat them.

"Uh, Eric," she whimpered as her body bent forward over the bathroom counter. Her thighs squeezed together as her hand continued teasing between her legs. Sookie could not make her traitorous digits stop. Her body felt alive and hungry! It was craving touches like it never had before!

"Could not even wait for me?"

Sookie's head snapped to the side, finding her lover standing in the doorway of her bathroom, watching her ravenously as he leaned against the entry frame. His shirt was already off, clutched in his pale hand, and his nostrils flared as they inhaled the intoxicating scent of her arousal.

"Eric," her voice moaned like a plea as she went to stand up- not even embarrassed at being caught pleasuring herself.

"No, Lover, stay just like that," Eric purred, throwing his shirt to the ground as he closed the distance between them. Sookie bent back over the counter and simpered pitifully as he knelt behind her. His hands took hers, bringing them to the outsides of her thighs, "Spread yourself for me. Show me your pussy so I know that it wants me."

Sookie squirmed impatiently at his request before reaching for her nether lips, and displaying the folds of her womanhood. Her gash was weeping with juices that tempted the vampire's resolve. A single finger rose to coat itself with the evidence of her need, and Eric let that digit sink into the depths of her inviting hole.

The tremor of her legs had a smile spreading across Eric's mouth as his finger stroked her insides. He tilted slightly to rub against the inside of her pelvis, and Sookie let loose a throaty moan as another quake wracked her body. The muscles of her inner thighs were shaking, as were her arms that kept her pussy open and on display. She was so close that her juices were trickling down the insides of those thick, trembling thighs and his own wrist.

"Oh, Lover," he bit her left cheek as he added a finger, "your pussy is drooling because it is so hungry for my cock!" The woman made a high mewing sound at his words, and her body practically vibrated with arousal. "Do you want me to feed your starving pussy?"

"Mmm hmm," Sookie whined.

"Are you going to ask me nicely for it?" he rumbled teasingly.

"P-please, Eric, fill up my hungry, little pussy," she wept.

Eric gasped at her words, delighted at her choice of phrasing. "How can I deny such a heartfelt request?" He rose from his knees, his hand still working between her legs as he undid his pants. When his member was free, he let the thick column of flesh nestle in the crease of her buttocks as he rocked back and forth in time with his hand's movements. "Your meal is served," he growled. "Now, go ahead and feed."

Sookie let go of one side of her womanhood before reaching between her thighs. Eric drew his hips back, helping her hand take hold of his cock as she tried to position it where she needed him. She whimpered in distress when their height difference kept her from plunging his staff deep inside of her.

"Eric!" she cried in dismay before he responded by grabbing the front of her hips to raise Sookie enough to meet him. Sookie moaned long and loud as the action caused him to slide deep inside of her. Every inch of him rubbed against that same delicious spot his fingers had been stimulating. Pleasurable jolts of electricity shot through her sex and up her spine until she felt the coarse curls of his pelvis pressed into her backside.

Her body shook in his hands, trying to resolve the conundrum inside of her. He was simultaneously too deep and not deep enough. Her body wanted to protest with pain, but her heart wanted more. To feel even _closer_.

As Eric's hips began to move, sliding in and out at a tauntingly slow pace, Sookie wriggled in his hold. Her chin was pressed uncomfortably against the countertop, and the woman brought her arms in front of her to take her weight off of her chest and face. The change in position caused her back to arch, and rake the firm length of Eric's member against that over sensitized sweet spot Eric had been tormenting.

"Oh my Nordic God!" Sookie yelled making Eric laugh uproariously as he picked up his pace.

Sookie was panting as she dropped her forehead to her hands. Her body was on fire. There was not enough oxygen in the world to slow her breaths. The pressure of Eric's fingertips at the front of her hips was somehow making his penetration resound through her entire body. His snarling, passionate words were working her frenzy higher!

Suddenly, like an explosion, Sookie's neck craned back with a scream that earned a thudding against the floor from her downstairs neighbors. The disapproving noise was drowned out, however, by Eric's own roar as he filled her body with his cum, staying in close so that her pussy could drink up every drop of it.

When Eric's body stilled, Sookie felt herself being lowered back onto her weak limbs. His steadying hands were at her ass, and she felt his palms spreading her slit wide as he knelt behind her once more.

With every deep breath she took, Eric watched as her gash trickled with his essence. Witnessing the sight of his cock's milk dripping from her sated pussy made him hard once more, but he satiated his urges by nibbling and licking the backs of her thighs while he continued to watch the evidence of his climax pool on the tile between Sookie's legs.

"Mmm," Sookie moaned tiredly, "you made me all dirty again."

"Just the way I love you," Eric replied, pulling Sookie upright and carrying her back to the bed he had thoroughly debauched her in the previous evening. His body crawled over her own, finding her lips and kissing them deeply before she pulled away. Looking at her in surprise, Eric became curious at her amused leer. "What?" he asked.

Sookie placed her hand atop his head, and with a firm press, urged his head down her body, "Start cleaning me back up."

Eric growled heatedly at her command as he traveled down the length of her body. Without additional encouragement, he pulled her hips to the edge of the bed as he came to kneel on the floor between her legs. His mouth descended upon her unsatisfied sex, and began to devour her enthusiastically. Over and over he would bring her to the precipice of release, but denied her each time until she was a begging, writhing woman. Finally, when Eric felt that she had suffered long enough, he allowed her what her body had been yearning for.

Sookie came with a howl that earned yet another annoyed rapping from the downstairs neighbors. Honestly, he could not bring her to climax _anywhere_. His lover had a tendency to awaken grandmothers and annoy neighbors with her enthusiasm. Not that he minded, and apparently neither did she.

"I love you," Sookie moaned as she crumbled onto the bed in exhaustion.

"You are just saying that because no one could ever make you come like that," Eric teased.

"You're right, no one ever could, but I'd love you anyway." Sookie ruffled his hair playfully before giving it a tug, "Come here and hold me."

Eric tilted his head curiously as she slid up the bed and positioned them both to lie as they had the night before when she had made the same request. This evening, however, she took his arm in her hand, and pulled him to spoon up behind her. She wore his body like a cloak with how she had wrapped his arms over her shoulders.

"Sookie," he whispered in her ear, "I can not help but wonder about your cuddlesome nature."

"Hmm?" she mumbled at his statement.

"That night when you promised to let me play with you if I gave you what you wanted?" Sookie smiled at the memory until he continued, "Was it my quick departure that kept you awake for so long? Or was it because I did not hold you afterwards? Even back when we were fighting all of the time, I at least held you briefly after pleasuring you. That was the only night I did not hold you-"

"Eric," Sookie said breathlessly, and he felt a jolt of anxiety in her, "It's a weird quirk!"

"A quirk is causing you that much panic at my questioning of it?" He did not believe this for a moment.

"Yes."

"Why are you lying to me, Sookie? Why does intimacy make you seek comfort?" His voice was gentle, almost attempting to lull an answer from her nervous lips.

"I can't tell you. I can't tell you 'cause it's you."

"You can tell me anything. I would never hold anything against you," he assured her.

"It's not about me-"

"Sookie," he felt a surge of anger when she said that, "did someone hurt you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

"That's just it. All I want, right now, is for you to hold me, Eric. Just hold me, love me, be here for me _now_. I don't need retribution for stupid things."

Eric was frowning deeply at that, "Obviously it is not stupid if your past is not staying where it should be. If you cannot even sleep peacefully without being held after being intimate-"

Despite the sound of frustration that rolled in Sookie's throat to cut him off, she held his arms tighter to her chest rather than push him away. "I'm sorry if it's what I need. I don't know why I need it, but I do."

"I do not mind giving you whatever you need," Eric assured her.

"Then _why_ do you want me to tell you something that doesn't matter any more?"

"Because it still hurts you."

Turning in his arms, Sookie wrapped her arms around Eric's waist as she pressed her face against his chest firmly. She laid there, just breathing a long time before she whispered, "You'll kill him, and I can't live with that."

"Was it your brother?"

"What?! No!" Sookie looked up at her lover, appalled that he would even entertain the thought.

Eric shrugged moderately, "He is the only man I know you to be protective of."

"I'm protective of you," Sookie poked his chest.

"I am not a man."

"No, you're much more," she nodded.

"If you will not tell me _who_ it was, will you at least tell me _what_ he did?" Eric asked.

Sookie let out a suffering sigh, "That's just it, Eric. He didn't really _do_ anything. That's why I can't stand to..."

"It was his thoughts," Eric realized, "and you would never hold someone accountable for just thinking something."

The woman nodded, "I'm not saying his thoughts were appropriate, or reasonable in the right context. No one should think about a little girl the way he thought about me back then."

Eric knew better than to ask. He knew that depending on her answer, there would be little room to restrain himself, "What sort of thoughts?" He had to know. He had to be aware of the psychological torment. Once he had endured it, he could avoid these torturous conversations in the future. However, knowing that Sookie had been plagued by some lecherous creature's musings, he feared that some day in the future he could accidentally reenact something innocent that could trigger despair in her. He never wanted to be a reminder of a nightmare when he reached for her lovingly.

"Eric," Sookie whimpered.

"Please." The desperation in his eyes made Sookie halt the protest that was on the tip of her tongue. He did not look angry any more. In fact, he looked quite helpless.

"Not here, okay?" Eric looked at her curiously, and he felt his heart in his throat when she crawled from bed. "I don't want to talk about it in this bed. I don't want to tell you what he thought in the same place you made love to me the first time."

Eric nodded as he rose from the bed. Her request was a reasonable one, and he watched as she threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt. This action made Eric uneasy. She could not even discuss the matter while in any minor state of undress. Not a nightgown nor a robe would suffice.

Once the pair was seated on the couch, Eric looked at the distance between them. Sookie was watching his face with such a keen eye that he felt like he was under investigation. She was determined to read every emotion that passed across his face. He was determined not to let her know a single one of them.

"I was five when he first started thinking about me," Sookie began, her eyes unblinking as she stared at him. "At first it was hard for me to realize what it all meant. I'd see him thinking about spanking me. Sometimes he thought about doing it when my clothes were on, sometimes with my shorts and panties down. I just thought maybe I had done something wrong and it was a discipline thing. He was just recently confined to a wheelchair, so it just made sense that maybe I asked him to do something he couldn't, and it made him mad enough to want to spank me. So, I tried to be extra nice to him, and help him as much as I could. "

Eric resisted every agitated tick he had ever experienced and eventually overcome, but Sookie could see the almost imperceptible tremor of his index finger, as though he wanted to tap it anxiously.

"Sometimes he would ask me to sit in his lap so he could read to me." The most minute crease around Eric's eyes appeared. "While I sat there, he'd think about pushing me hard against his lap and rubbing me against him. Instead, he'd rub my arm while he read." Sookie looked away from Eric before continuing, "When I turned seven, I realized that there was something wrong about his thoughts. They started scaring me. He'd think about ripping my shirt open, or pulling my shorts down. Sometimes he'd think about shoving things in... in my secret place." Sookie's jaw clamped shut as she mumbled out that last part. The memories had reverted the woman to referring to her genitals in childish manners. It made Eric want to growl, but he suppressed the urge. "He'd think about the blood that would come out if he did it. He'd think about buckets and buckets of blood pouring out of me down there, and my stomach pouching out as he put more and more things inside me-"

"Sookie," Eric closed the distance between himself and the woman, "Sookie," he shook her gently, "you're making yourself cry! Please stop! I am sorry." He hugged her tightly. "I am sorry. I am so sorry." He held her to himself as though he feared ever letting her go again.

"He wanted to hurt me so much! He wanted to make me bleed and suffer! He-"

"Please stop!" Eric cried in her ear. His body was shaking, not with rage, but from feeling just how terrified she was. Sookie cried right along with him, and they held one another desperately until both had calmed. "I am sorry I asked you to tell me. I am sorry I made you relive that. You _told me _how much it hurt you. I thought if I knew what he had thought, that it would prevent me from doing something to you that was innocent, but had a memory of him attached to it. But I would never hurt you like that. I was foolishly thinking it was a stigma of a little girl who did not understand sex, but that... Those things are not something I would ever do to you."

"He had a role of duct tape."

"What?" Eric's head snapped up, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. He did not want the answer to the question he had asked, but now he needed to hear. As the dawning of realization covered her features, he knew he had to hear.

"There was one time. One time that Gran left us at his house for the night. He had a role of duct tape, and he was going to put it over my mouth, hands and feet when Jason fell asleep. He was going to do all the things he had been thinking about. I went to bed early that night, and waited for Jason to go to his room. I pre-pretended that I had a bad dream, and went to Jason's room. He held me all night to keep the nightmares away, but he never knew my nightmare was down the hall waiting for him to fall asleep so it could take me a-away. He held me all night and never fell asleep... I couldn't stop crying, a-and he held me all night."

There was a long silence as clear and red tear stains ran down both of their cheeks. Eventually Sookie whispered, "Gran never made us go there again."

"Does anyone know what he thought about you?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, one person."

"Your Gran." He did not ask.

"Yeah."

"I really want to kill this man, Sookie," Eric admitted in a hushed tone.

"They were just thoughts," she whispered, but he could feel, buried deep in her heart, how desperately she wished she could condone it. "I can't even be sure he would have hurt me that night. It could have just been a strong fantasy."

"Those are not just thoughts, Sookie," his voice was just as quiet as hers. "Does Adele know the specifics of his thoughts?"

"No. I was too young to really explain it. I just said that he thought "naked things" about me. That was enough for Gran never to let us anywhere near him again."

"What if I asked her if I could kill him..." Eric thought out loud.

"_What_?" Sookie looked up at him in surprise and confusion.

"What if I told your Gran what you told me, and asked her permission to kill him? What if she agreed?" Eric asked.

"She would never-"

"I think she would."

"Eric, don't," Sookie moaned.

"I will not kill him without either yours or her permission, but I will ask over and over again until he his dead," Eric told her firmly. "There is something I want to tell you, though, Sookie." She looked up at him, tilting her chin back to meet his eyes. "In regards to the shame you are feeling right now... I want you to know that I would never think less of a victim, especially a child who had no means to defend themselves. Knowing that you were subjected to the thoughts of a man like that as a child does not make me think less of you. I love you as I always have, though I feel even more protective of you now."

"Oh my, well you were mighty protective already!" Sookie tittered nervously around her tears.

"Yes, and I always will be." Letting out a long sigh, Eric wiped away the remnants of his bloody tears, "May I borrow your phone for a moment?"

"Huh?" Sookie looked at him suspiciously, "You're not going to call my Gran are you?"

"No."

"Then why-"

"Please," was all he said.

Still curious, Sookie retrieved her phone, and brought it back to Eric. He scrolled through her contacts and hit "dial", waiting for the phone to pick up, "Stackhouse." Sookie's eyes widened as she realized Eric had called her brother.

"_Who is this?"_ Jason asked. _"Why do you have my lil sister's phone?"_

"This is Eric Northman."

"_Sook's vamp, right?"_ Jason checked.

Eric smiled weakly, "Yes."

"_Is she okay?"_ he demanded quickly. _"She ain't hurt is she? Oh my, God! I'll-"_

"No, she is perfectly healthy," Eric calmed him down. "I had something to say to you."

There was a long pause before Jason said tentatively, _"Okay, shoot."_

"I know this will make no sense to you, but I just wanted to thank you."

"_For what?"_

"For holding her all night."

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 16

My Angel

_A/N: Sorry, everyone, we've got a short chapter this week! But things start going into over drive next week, so this is what I have for right now! Please enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Sixteen: Torn Apart**

Eric was on a mission. It had been nearly three weeks since Sookie had confessed to the mental torture she had sustained as a small child, and it had been Eric's personal goal not to allow her to dwell on what he had made her discuss. He had showered her with beautiful words, scorching kisses and made love to her several times each night. He held her without request, making sure to leave plenty of time before daybreak so that she could curl up against his body, basking in his safe embrace.

Now, her nightmare was distant in her mind, and Eric finally sought the woman who could grant him his greatest wish.

Permission to kill whomever it was that had assaulted his beautiful lover's innocent mind.

Knocking on the old farmhouse door, Eric waited as he heard the shuffling footsteps coming to greet him. Again, he was fighting anxious ticks he thought were distant memories. Every fiber of his being was screaming for blood, and those cries were causing his fingers to dance fretfully against the side of his thigh.

"Mr. Northman?" Adele was surprised to see the vampire at her doorstep. "Is everything all right? Is Sookie okay?" she asked urgently.

"Sookie is very well. I needed to speak with you, though." Eric quickly quelled the old woman's worry, and smiled gravely as she opened the door to him.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you to drink," Adele chuckled to herself.

"It is quite all right," he assured. "I am well nourished."

Gran gave him a playfully suspicious glance, one that he had seen on Sookie's impish face on far too many occasions to count, "I bet you are."

Clearing his throat at her knowing look, Eric asked the old woman to sit down, "I have a rather disturbing matter to discuss with you."

Adele squared off her shoulders, "Oh?" Her voice was guarded, as though she were expecting terrible news.

"Sookie and I have been intimate for a while now, rather conclusively as of a few weeks ago. In my time with her, I noticed a particular quirk she has." Gran's eyebrows rose at his words. She wondered why the vampire would think she had any knowledge of her granddaughter's sexual fetishes. "She quite persistently seeks comfort after being intimate." He noted the clenching of Adele's jaw. "Of course, I do not mind holding my lover, but her actual _need_ for it had me concerned."

"I didn't realize she was so affected. Did she say where it stemmed from?" Adele asked.

Eric looked at the woman with a slight irritation, "Are you saying you cannot think of anything she was subjected to that could cause such a response?"

Adele frowned, "Well, with her gift, I suppose she could have seen any number of things-"

"Specifically. Something she told you about."

Gran's lips paled, "Bartlett? Of course I never let him anywhere near her again after he scared her like that, but-"

"But she could not find the words to tell you what his thoughts really were back then. She told me that she had explained them as "naked thoughts". I can guarantee you that those two words cannot begin to paint the picture of what her young mind was subjected to." Eric's face was far more composed than his emotions. On the inside, he was like a wild, caged tiger throwing his body against iron bars.

"My God." Gran cupped her whitened lips in her hands, "What was he thinking about her? What did he make my poor grand baby see?"

Almost verbatim of Sookie's description, Eric repeated her story to Adele. Before he could even tell her of the night Jason had unknowingly protected his sister, Adele was weeping openly. Her old hand clutched her heart as if it were breaking over and over a thousand times.

"Please, please don't tell me anymore!" Gran rose from her chair, gasping for breath. "I think I might die if I hear any more!" She held her face in her hands, "My poor, sweet girl. Poor, sweet, darlin' girl!"

"Who is Bartlett?"

Adele looked at the vampire, her eyes bloodshot with tears and wide with shock, "My brother."

Eric felt a growl in his throat, "I am even more disgusted now. That is saying something considering I thought there were few things more evil than one who would wish to defile a child."

"I can't believe... I didn't want to believe back then... I can't..." Adele was gasping for breath, "I was always so worried about the Fae... I never considered the threats of man, or my own family!" She sobbed violently into her withered hands.

"My purpose for putting you through this was not to cause you grief, but to make you understand why I am about to ask what I am about to ask." Eric rose from his seat on the couch to stand in front of Adele. His eyes bore into the old woman's with a feverish intensity that sent chills down her spine. "Sookie would not grant me the permission. Therefore, I am forced to ask it of you. Allow me to kill your brother. Brutally. Uninhibited."

Adele's eyes seemed to tremble in the wells of tears that filled them. She was staring at Eric in a way that she never thought she would look at him. In absolute terror.

"She cannot be free while he is alive, and she cannot free herself. I am asking you, Adele. Let me free Sookie of this. Guiltlessly. If you want to make one contribution to her life as penance for damning it. Accept one sin of murder so that she will not have to bear it."

Mouth trembling, Adele whispered, "41166 North County Road in Monroe." Eric let out a long sigh of relief. "Kill him."

{†}

Arriving at the address Adele Stackhouse had given him, Eric went to the door of Bartlett Hale. He knocked several times before a rasping shout of, "Hold your God damned horses!"

Impatiently he stood in front of the door, waiting for it to open, and give him his first view of the vile creature that contemplated brutal scenarios of children. If his blood could boil, it would have. Instead it was his very soul that felt aflame. He could have spontaneously combusted with the rage he was experiencing.

Finally the door creaked open, echoing in the sparse halls and rooms of the decaying old house. A haggard man, folded in a wreck of a wheelchair sat before him, looking irritable but curious. "What do ya want. I ain't buyin' nothin'-"

"Are you Bartlett Hale?" There was no question of course, but Eric wanted to be certain.

"What kinda dumbass question is that? You came here din' ya? Who the shit you think lives here?" Hale gummed around his several missing teeth.

Linking his gaze with Hale's, Eric commanded from his glamour, "Invite me inside."

"Come in." Hale's jaw slackened, and Eric put his boot clad foot against the seat of the wheelchair and kicked it several yards back into the hallway where it crashed into an inner wall of the house.

"Before I begin exacting some due vengeance. I want to know something. How many children have you actually victimized?"

"Victimized?" Hale looked stunned at the accusation, "I just gave them what they was wanting."

Eric let out a bellowing roar, "HOW MANY!?"

"Just the three. Woulda been four but the first one stopped me for I got to her."

"The first one..." Eric looked at Hale a long moment before realization dawned, "You molested Adele."

Hale's pale, compassionless eyes looked at Eric with amusement before he smirked and said, "Only a little." Eric's fist lashed out and caught Bartlett in the ribs sharply, but not enough to cause the damage that would prevent his suffering. Clutching at his ribs, the old creature hacked, "She was only three at the time. Don't remember it at all, but mamma and daddy sure did. Shipped me off to private school. By the time I come back, she weren't so hard to ignore. Then she popped out that pretty baby, and well... Linda looked an awful lot like Adele when she was little."

Eric stood before Hale with anger growing stronger and stronger. He had seen many terrible things in his time, most of which he could ignore without any attempt at compassion. Far too often he had heard, seen or even ignored tales such as these. Sometimes, long ago, these things had been acceptable. Taking young brides, marrying relatives. Even still, the ages that Bartlett had harmed these girls would have been viewed as inappropriate even around his time as a human.

"I kept Linda longer. She kept that flat chest and chubby cheeks a good long time. 'Til she popped out Hadley. Didn't want her no more after that."

Eric frowned at the mention of Hadley. When he had first begun watching over Sookie, he had done a thorough background check on her family. Surprisingly, not even he had discovered who Hadley's father was. Linda had never married, and died of cancer a year prior, taking the secret of her child's father with her to the grave. Now Eric knew why.

Hadley was the daughter of her Great Uncle Bartlett.

The young woman's mysterious past made Eric wonder if Hadley had come to realize who her biological father was. Perhaps it would make sense of all that had happened in the last five years.

Eric had found that Hadley gave birth to a stillborn son the same year that Niall had called in Eric's debt. From the reports he had read on the subject, it seemed the child was born with a rather obscure, but fatal, birth defect. Over the next two years, he heard of Hadley being taken in by Sophie-Anne, and eventually gotten word that the young woman had committed suicide earlier that year.

Though it was difficult to determine what had caused Hadley to take her life, and the fact that Eric had little interest in it, now the vampire had to wonder if young woman had come to suspect her parentage. Considering what she had endured as a child, it would not take too much stretch of the imagination for Hadley to conclude that she was the byproduct of Hale abusing her mother as well.

Eric had never told Adele nor Sookie that Hadley was dead. He had heard them gravely discussing the possibility that she had died of an overdose. For a long moment he wondered if it might be better for them to go on believing that.

After processing all of the information and making bridges to facts he had no connections or interests to in the beginning, Eric glared down at Hale.

The man shuddered at the stone gaze of the vampire who had invaded his home, but he did not shy his own eyes away. "You gonna kill me bloodsucker?" he asked defiantly.

"I will do far worse than just that," Eric assured him, and reached into his coat pocket to withdraw a thick roll of duct tape. He quickly slapped a piece of it over Hale's mouth before binding the old man's hands and feet. "I am going to do things to you that would make any mortal man ashamed to look at himself in the mirror afterwards. But I am no mortal man. I will do them, and I will feel no shame or terror in the end. I will feel vindicated."

{†}

Sookie stood in the kitchen, reading the microwave instructions for a quick meal. She could not fathom going through the motions of cooking a grand meal for just herself, and aside from days she went to Gran's, rarely indulged in a home cooked meal.

As she was setting down the knife after perforating the plastic wrap, she heard the balcony door slide open and closed so swiftly that she had scarcely looked up by the time her body was sent flying into the wall across the kitchen. A terrified scream grew in her throat until she realized that the body pressing tightly to hers was not that of an assailant, but of her lover.

"E-Eric!" Sookie cried as his frame pinned hers against the wall, and she could feel his hands tugging insistently against her clothing. She noticed that he was already naked, and this surprised and confused her further.

Impatience was not one of Eric's notable flaws, and the woman was baffled by his sudden, uncontrollable need to have her naked. She did not question it, however. Eric had been so careful and gentle with her these past weeks, and she welcomed an opportunity to explore the world of a "quickie".

Frustration creased Eric's face, and he gave up trying to remove her clothes properly, resorting in tearing them from her body without worry of repercussion. When she was equally as naked as him, Sookie found her legs lifted within his elbows, and her body folded nearly in half as he drove into her as deeply as he could.

"AH! Eric!" she screamed, not quite ready for such an abrupt invasion. The little hurt passed quickly, though, and soon she was wriggling against his body with her own enthusiasm. Just as she was beginning to think there was nothing better than a quickie, Eric's arm released one of her legs and reached for the steak knife she had used to puncture the plastic of her frozen dinner.

Without hesitation or question, he tore a large gash into his neck and pushed Sookie's mouth against the wound. Her eyes lit up as he offered their second exchange, and she suckled greedily at the blood. When his own mouth came to her throat, puncturing the column of flesh with his fangs, she moaned with an impending release. The sensation of his mouth drawing her sanguine fluids from her body sent her trembling over the edge. She cried deeply against his injury, climaxing with such an intensity that it took her breath away. As Eric roared against her throat, she could feel the spasming of his cock inside her, and the full sensation of his cum filling her womb.

"Eric," she gasped against his throat as he sunk to his knees with her in his lap, "how? Why? What was that about?"

Disengaging from her neck, Eric pressed his forehead to hers as he continued to let his weight push her against the wall. "I will tell you shortly. Right now, just let me hold you." Eric released her leg from his other elbow and leaned back on his rump to pull Sookie more comfortably into his lap. She curled into a ball there as his arms wrapped protectively around her, and his back leaned against the kitchen cabinet. His cheek was pressed against the top of her head, and his hand was tracing cool lines down her back as the other hand gripped her side firmly just above her hip.

They sat like that for nearly a half an hour before Eric spoke again, "I did not scare you too much, I hope?"

"Only as long as it took me to realize it was you pushing me into a wall," Sookie chuckled. "Once I realized it was _my_ vampire pinning me down, I was a happy girl."

"I am glad." Eric sighed, nuzzling his cheek against the top of her head, "I was in a state of bloodlust. I needed to drink, and I needed a fuck to calm back down."

"Well, I don't think I mind being your one stop shop for those." Sookie reached up to ruffle his hair as she playfully let loose her teasing tone. "Not when it feels like _that_!"

Squeezing her tightly to him, Eric continued, "I have much to tell you about this evening."

"Oh?"

Eric rose with Sookie still in his arms. She laughed as she was raised from the ground, and carried to the bedroom. Eric sat her on the bed before going to her closet. Watching him curiously as he grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Sookie was confused when he tossed them at her. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a Fangtasia t-shirt for himself that he kept in her closet.

Dressing quickly, but figuring they were not leaving the apartment since he had forgone giving her any underwear, Sookie looked to Eric expectantly once her clothes were on.

"Eric," she began a bit nervously, "what's going on? You never try and put clothes _on_ me."

"Come, let us talk in the living room."

Sookie remained frozen in her spot, "You killed Uncle Bartlett." The realization was easy to come by. Not long ago, she had said that she did not wish to discuss her uncle on the bed she had shared with Eric, nor did she wish to be in any state of undress when they did so.

"Come with me to the living room."

Sookie's lips trembled as she followed Eric to the couch. When they sat down, Eric kept a bit of distance between them. "I went to Adele and asked her permission. After I told her what you told me, she asked me to kill her brother." Sookie's eyes widened in surprise that Gran had given in so easily. "When I went to Hale's house, I discovered a few other things. Things I think you should know because I think it is important for you to realize that Bartlett was not just your nightmare."

Sookie nodded silently, captivated with dread.

"Hale was sent to boarding school when he was a young boy because your great grandparents discovered he was molesting Adele while she was a toddler." Sookie's eyes were round with shock. "By the time he came back home, she was well grown, and Hale had no interest in her... Until she had Linda. Hale raped your Aunt Linda through most of her childhood and adolescence." Sookie's hands cupped her mouth as she tried to even her breathing. "He is the father of Hadley."

The telepath rose from the couch and began pacing. She rubbed her stomach as tears began tracing down her cheeks. She felt like she would throw up or faint. Perhaps both.

"Your cousin Hadley, I think, discovered who her father was a few years ago. She was pregnant and her son was stillborn due to birth defects. I am not certain if it was the death of her child, or perhaps some internal epiphany that made her realize who her father was, but," he paused a long moment then, watching Sookie's anxious pacing before finishing, "she committed suicide earlier this year."

Sookie whirled around to stare at Eric, "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"It was before you found me. I could not think of a way to let you know without revealing myself, and..." He looked down at his hands contemplatively, "I did not want to hurt you like that, and not be able to comfort you."

"Why didn't you tell me after?"

"Honestly?" Eric raised his eyebrows, "It completely escaped my mind. It was not until this evening when I discovered the past of Bartlett, your aunt and cousin that I put everything together and remembered Hadley's death."

Sookie scowled, "You _forgot_?"

"She was of no consequence to me. I had no reason to give her much thought after deciding not to tell you immediately."

Sookie took a deep breath as she absorbed this. She could not reprimand Eric for his actions concerning Hadley. It was not part of his duty as her protector to inform her of something that did not affect her safety. Though it upset her to think that Eric did not feel remorse for Hadley, she could understand why the death of one mortal had not unsettled him. He was an immortal vampire surrounded endlessly by death. One more coffin was not something that would preoccupy him.

"Okay," she finally whispered.

"Okay?" Eric asked tentatively.

"Okay, I accept your reasoning. Not "okay, you murdered someone and I'm hunky dory," she quickly explained.

"I did not kill him for you. I was fulfilling the request of Adele."

Sookie looked at him, "I think that's the first time you ever lied to me."

Eric looked at her in surprise, "I-"

"You killed him for me, Eric. You found someone else to shoulder the responsibility, but you still did it because of me."

"Yes, but I hope you know, that I have respect for your grandmother. If she had discovered what her brother had done, and asked this of me, I would have done it."

Sookie thought about that for a moment before asking, "Have you told her about Aunt Linda or Hadley?"

"I have not. After what I told her about you, it seemed any more despair could have given her a heart attack. I do not mean this metaphorically. I genuinely think her body could not handle any further heartbreak."

Sookie nodded in agreement, "When Aunt Linda died last year, Gran was nearly inconsolable. I don't know how she would take it if she found out about Hadley killing herself, or what Bartlett did to them both."

Eric nodded in agreement, "I think that there are some things that are better left unknown."

"I don't feel any better knowing the truth about them, or any better knowing that Bartlett is dead. I thought I would feel some sort of relief, or... Something. I just feel empty."

Thinking about this, Eric admitted, "Truthfully, murdering him was more for my benefit than anyone else's. It was something I wanted more than something you needed. Because it was so selfish, and it concerned you, I needed permission to do it. It did not take back any of his wrong doings, or lighten anyone's burden."

"Maybe Hadley and Aunt Linda can rest in peace knowing that Bartlett got what he deserved." Sookie was thoughtful a moment before adding, "Did he suffer?"

"I made certain of it."

"What did you-"

"Do you remember when you asked me what you should do when there was a truth you did not want to know?" Eric interrupted her.

"You said not to ask."

"You do not want to know the answer to the question in your head, Sookie. Trust me when I tell you that. Just know that he suffered more than I have made anyone suffer, and no one will ever know what happened to him but myself."

**TBC**

**A/N: Okay, I know what you're all thinking. You're wondering why there was no torture scene. Well, to be perfectly honest, I cannot even begin to comprehend a befitting wrath for Bartlett to endure. There are so many tortures in the world, and I bet Eric knows the best ones. I, however, do not have his knowledge on the subject. I trust that he did far worse than anything my imagination could conjure, and to be honest, I'm taking the Hitchcock approach and say "vaguer is better".**

**Please remember to review!**

**-Andi**


	18. Chapter 17

My Angel

_A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome to Chapter Seventeen! I hope you enjoy it, and I cannot wait to hear what you all have to say!_

_This chapter was written/edited/proofread thrice/rewritten by me and me alone. So, please, remember constructive criticism is always welcome, as well as opinions, but if you can give a little wiggle room on the technical flaws- it would be greatly appreciated!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Seventeen:**

"Good evening, Master."

Eric did not look up at Pam, going so far as to hide the relief he felt having her back in his area. "How is Regina?"

"She is well. The New York court is as stalwart as ever," Pam told him stiffly, knowing she had earned the cold homecoming. "How is... Sookie?" She tried her best to keep the agitation from her voice when she spoke the hybrid's name, but Eric could hear it. She also knew that her Maker had performed at least one mutual blood exchange in her absence.

"Very well." Eric nodded, "We are on the precipice of Bonding."

"Then she-"

"Has agreed to come over around the age of twenty-nine. She said something about not having to lie about her age that way," he said amusedly as he recalled her words.

"I see." Pam let out a breath. In four more years, Sookie Stackhouse would become a vampire. Of course, in Pam's opinion, her Maker having a Bonded Mate was just as dangerous as the situation he was currently in. Regardless, with Stackhouse as a vampire, perhaps Pam would find _something_ to like about her. "When are you planning on finishing the process?"

"We have been going slowly. Our first exchange was a month ago. Our second was only a few days ago. I will probably wait another month before completing the Bond," he told her, finally looking up and taking stock of his Child's appearance. She looked as well as ever, and wearing clothes he was certain he had paid for during her escape to New York.

"And your Sheriff duties have been simple in my absence?" she asked, hopeful that she had not left him in a pinch.

"Sookie helped a great deal with the bar after you left. I only suffered a week before she picked up the slack," he assured. "Therefore my responsibilities to Sophie-Anne were not affected." Pam wanted to clench her teeth at the thought of Sookie Stackhouse helping her Maker. "Pamela, you will always find reasons to dislike Sookie, so stop hunting for them." He rose from his desk and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, "Children... Always so petulant when their father brings home a woman." He kissed the side of her head.

"She's a dangerous weakness."

"As are you," Eric said pointedly. "I would do anything for you Pam, just as I would her."

"You could survive without me. You will not be able to do so without her," Pam argued.

"This is true, but I have kept you and myself safe for a very long time," he reminded.

"I _listen_ to you," she snapped.

"As does she. Sookie has grown up a lot these past few months. You will be surprised how much," Eric assured her. "Now, do not darken such a happy evening with such a fowl mood. My Child has returned, and I wish to enjoy that."

Pam watched as Eric strolled out of his office. She had never seen her Maker in such a mood. There was a strange contentment about him now. As though he had all of the answers in the world, and no longer calculated the inconsequential. He had obtained some sort of knowledge in the months she had been gone. If she did not know any better, she would say he had gone soft, but that was not the case. She followed behind him from a distance, and she realized what had changed.

There was no boredom in his eyes. He was no longer looking for entertainment to tick away the endless eternity, whether that meant flogging an unsuspecting fangbanger or starting a fight with Pam herself.

"Is this what love does?" Pam mumbled to herself as she followed far behind her Maker. She observed when Sookie arrived, lingering on the edges of the club as the telepath bounced around energetically. The hybrid conversed with humans and vampires alike, but not a one found her a nuisance but Pam. "Maybe I really am just being a spoiled Child about her..." Pam sighed to herself. Suddenly, Sookie stopped in her tracks, and Pam realized she had been spotted. "Marvelous," she grumbled as the woman skipped over to her. Yes, Sookie Stackhouse had just _skipped_ across a vampire nightclub.

"Pam, you're back!" Sookie's voice was bubbly and excited. "Eric must be so happy! He hasn't said much, but there's this tiny look of sadness in his eyes when he talks about you. I know he's been missing you a lot," she told the vampire, and Pam balked at the girl's brazen mouth. "Even though you two have gone around without each other before, I know he didn't like the circumstances this time."

"Did he tell you why I left?" Pam asked coldly.

"Yeah, you wanted to kill me," Sookie nodded, and the vampiress could not fathom how the girl could say it so plainly and without fear or anger. "But you're not the first, and probably not the last. Just the only one Eric won't kill over it. So, why don't we both just not kill each other for Eric's sake, and see if you can learn not to hate me?"

"I can manage that," Pam uttered.

"Cool. I'm going to grab a drink. Oh, and there's some guys over there with the Fellowship of the Sun." She flickered her eyes to a group of three men, "They're not plotting anything sinister, but them being here is a red flag on its own."

Pam considered her options for a moment before shrugging, "I suppose we will have to watch them closely the next time they come in." Sookie merely nodded.

"Okie-dokey," Sookie skipped back to the bar for a drink, and Pam cursed under her breath. She watched as the telepath joked with the new bartender, and accepted a gin and tonic. Next, the little blonde went to her Maker's throne and sprawled bonelessly across his lap as though she had been doing so for all of her life.

"Why did the Master take a liking to her all the sudden?" a woman near her moaned forlornly to another. "If I'd known he was waiting for someone to be bold enough to straddle him and kiss him, I would have done it a _year_ ago!"

"The last ten people that approached the stage got a boot in the face, idiot!" the other girl snapped. "Only vampires were allowed up there until she showed up."

"Do you think he knew her before that night?" the first woman asked. "Maybe it was an act?"

"Whatever," the second woman huffed, "at least we didn't lose anything. We still get to look at him, and now at least no one else will get kicked in the head trying to get his attention."

Eric smirked as he heard the conversation from across the bar. He knew full well that Sookie detested hearing the fantasies of the other club goers, but she had discovered that the imaginings were minimal when she was in his lap. Therefore, Sookie usually planted herself atop him every opportunity she had. Of course, she developed a good sense of humor about it, or rather she reminded herself constantly that while they may fantasize, she enjoyed the reality of being the Viking's lover.

Another apparent circumstance that had become well realized at the club was the connection between Eric and his Maker's presumed pet-in-training. Every vampire was well aware that even if that had been the original plan, it was no longer in effect. None could presume that the relationship was that superficial. The way their mighty Sheriff doted on the woman was more than obvious, and many wondered if Godric of Ghal had gifted the wonderful smelling mortal to his Child. Of course, no one questioned the relationship, and knew if the Viking had betrayed his Maker, they were all better off saying nothing. There was no winning for them if the Sheriff had, indeed, defied his Maker. They would just need to stand to their loyalties and back Eric up, whatever the outcome.

"Sheriff," a young vampire approached the dais, "I need a word... Privately."

Eric opened his arms so that Sookie could crawl off of his lap, and she dutifully went to get a refill on her drink to make herself scarce. The first time this had happened, it had taken an unfortunate moment for her to get the hint. Thankfully, Eric had prompted her mildly, and no sparks had flown between the two. That had been Eric's first realization about the truth towards her maturing personality.

"What can I do for you, Joseph?" Eric drew up to his formidable posture, his hands clasping in front of his lap patiently.

"There has been word spreading about..." the vampire began to murmur before continuing, "About your relationship with Godric's pet."

"I see." Eric was more than aware of what words were flying in regard to that topic.

"The kingdom of Louisiana is becoming agitated with the circumstances."

"Oh?" Eric was conscious of this as well, which was why he planned on completing the Bond within the month.

"Sophie-Anne believes she has been lied to about that girl," Joseph continued, "and she is planning to call an audience with you."

"Sookie will be Bonded to me before the summons," Eric told him plainly, making the younger vampire's eyes widen with surprise. "Sookie has been gifted to me by my Maker, and that will make you beholden to her as my Mate."

"Yes, of course!" Joseph nodded.

"I suppose there is no use waiting any longer. Inform the others to stay after closing. We will Bond and publicly announce the claim this very evening," Eric commanded, and Joseph left in a flash to inform the present vampires of their Sheriff's request. "Pam," the vampiress was at his side immediately, "bring Sookie to my office."

Pam merely nodded and took off towards the bar as Eric rose from his throne to head to his office. He was met there by his Child and lover promptly. "Pam, you may remain, but do not interject." Pam stood by the door as Sookie went closer to Eric. "Sookie," he gave her a mildly pleading look, "the matter we discussed about our impending Bonding..."

"What about it?" Sookie asked, feeling excitement at the mere mention.

"It would be prudent for us to complete it tonight," he told her, and he could see Pam stiffen marginally out of the corner of his eye.

"Why?" she asked, though she was not displeased.

"Even my subordinates are catching wind of the Kingdom's displeasure at our relationship. Once we are Bonded, even my Queen cannot intervene. Therefore, it would be wise to complete the Bond this evening, and Pledge the completion of the Bond."

"Okay, you told me a bit about Pledging, but can you run it by me real quick?" she asked.

"It is very simple. You will open a wound with a dagger so that you may drink from me. I will bite you like normal. At the end of the mutual feeding, you return the dagger to me. It is symbolic of your devotion to me and the acceptance of me as your protector," he explained.

"Wait, so we have to do the mutual feeding in front of people?" Sookie asked, feeling hesitant. The last two times they exchanged blood, she had orgasmed, and that seemed very inappropriate to do in front of others!

"Yes." He nodded.

"Um," she chewed her lip bashfully, "Eric, you make me..." She glanced back at Pam, her face going red before looking shyly at her shoes. "You make my body do things when you bite me." Pam smirked behind Sookie's back.

"You make my body do things when you drink from me as well. Endure it this once." He kissed her forehead.

"Okay. When are we doing this?"

"After the club closes," he assured. "Only vampires will be present."

"Wow, so I'll be Bonded in, like, an hour. Wish I'd worn a prettier dress," she gestured to the black and hot pink bondage dress.

"You look lovely," he assured her with a smile. "Pam, find me suitable artifacts in the next half hour."

"Yes, Master." Pam nodded and left the office. As Sookie had said, they just needed to pretend they could get along, and maybe, someday, it would not be an act.

"I'm glad Pam came back before we Bonded." Sookie smiled at her vampire.

A small smile tugged at Eric's lips. "So am I," he agreed. "Are you upset about our Bonding being hastened?"

Sookie shook her head. "No. I've actually been looking forward to it. When you told me, the other day, that we would be Bonded by the end of the month, I got really excited."

Eric's smile grew. "I am glad."

"I hope I don't get that post-Bonding hysteria you were talking about." She shuddered at the thought.

"Well, it might happen, and I want you to be prepared. There is a good chance that because of your gift, you will acclimate nicely, and it will not affect you. There is also a chance that your gift could increase the chances because you are _more_ susceptible to others' emotions." It was common for freshly Bonded humans to succumb to the overpowering emotions of their vampire counterpart. When that happened they became quite manic, and under a few intense circumstances, needed to be heavily sedated while they adjusted.

"Can we just hang out back here until the club closes?" Sookie asked, getting close enough to Eric to wrap her arms about his waist. "I want to relax before the ceremony."

"We can." He picked her up and carried her to the leather sofa, holding her body atop his while he stroked her hair.

"Gran was saying how she wished she could see a vampire ceremony like this. Now that you mentioned exchanging blood in front of people- I'm glad she's not here!" She laughed, "That would be way too embarrassing!"

Eric chuckled at that, "Yes, but I am glad that she approved. I know you would have put off Bonding if your grandmother objected."

"Yeah, she said that kind of commitment seemed a little soon, but since we were both willing, and you're stuck with me anyway... Well, she didn't really give pause," Sookie told him.

"She is very quick to come to terms with the inevitable," Eric agreed.

"It must be an old person thing," she said sadly. "You kinda have to come to terms with a lot as you get up in age."

"Even more so for mortals," he nodded.

"Ugh, this topic is not relaxing me!" She shivered, "Change of subject, please."

"You said your brother called you last night?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sookie grinned, "He's doing surprisingly well in school! Aaand he started _dating_, like, actually dating just one girl!"

"Really? What is her name?"

"Monica." Sookie said, "She actually doesn't live in Chicago. She commutes from more of a suburb for work."

"What does she do?"

"She's a pharmaceutical rep," she explained.

Eric smiled, "It sounds like his choice in women might have improved."

"Yeah," she could not keep the sadness out of her voice.

"And you are now afraid he will never come home," Eric guessed, making Sookie nod. "Perhaps family is not the topic to relax you."

"I guess not." She sighed, nuzzling into his chest.

"Sookie, there is something I have refrained from talking about that I should have..."

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to get a house together?"

Sookie's head shot up from his chest, "Like a new house?"

Eric laughed at her enthusiasm, remembering how she had gawked openly at just how small and bare his home was. He had warned her that his living quarters were not at all impressive. The only thing she had marveled over was his bathroom and his closet. Everything else was entirely underwhelming. Not that she judged him by the living conditions, he had stated plainly that he just never really spent time there other than to rest, and he never entertained guests in his home. She was sure that his garage would have been impressive if she knew anything about cars, but it had completely escaped her.

"Yes, Lover, a _new_ house," he assured.

"That would be amazing, Eric!" She grinned at him.

"Well, if you tell me some of your prerequisites, I will contact a real estate agent and have them start looking around," Eric told her.

"Oh, well, I don't know what kinda things I'd want," she confessed. "I mean, I'd probably have said a big kitchen, but I won't be using one in a few years."

"I see." He became thoughtful a moment before suggesting, "We could still have a large kitchen and modify it after you change over. There are plenty of uses for a space such as that once the appliances and cabinets are removed. It would not take me long to remodel after you are turned."

"That's true," she mumbled carefully. "I mean, I like your place... Sort of... It's just so..."

"Bare?"

"Unfinished," she chose. "It feels vacant and lifeless. I could probably turn your place into a home... If you let me." She began nodding to herself as she thought further, "Yeah, why don't we hold off on real estate agents, and you just let me loose on your place?"

Eric smiled, "I do not mind that at all. I have been craving setting you loose with a few of my credit cards." The vampire actually chuckled at the memory of Sookie flinching at the costs of some gifts he had given her. He had not even spoken their prices, but Sookie knew from the brilliance of the diamonds in her necklace, and some of the names that embroidered her clothes that more than a pretty penny had been spent on her. "Since we will be Bonded, that is equivalent to a marriage. Everything that I am, everything that I own, is now yours too. Of course, I would have argued that it was all yours for a while now."

Sookie smiled at that and hugged him tightly. "I guess that's the way it should be. I'd say it's the same both ways, but all I have to offer is myself. I hope it's enough."

"More than enough," he assured.

"Master," Pam's voice came through the door before she entered, "I have obtained the necessary dagger. The club will be closing shortly. I had Cho make last call early so we could dismiss the stragglers."

"Good," Eric rose with Sookie still in his arms, "it will be a short ceremony. I will wish to get my Bonded home as quickly as possible."

"Of course." Pam nodded before leaving the office once more and began to herd out the humans.

"Sookie, will you come back to the house tonight?" he asked. "That way you could start deciding how you wish to decorate."

"Oh, that sounds awesome!" Sookie grinned, "I can go to the hardware store in town and look at paint colors too! This will be so cool!" She clapped her hands excitedly, almost as enthusiastic over decorating as she was for her impending Bonding Ceremony.

Eric laughed. "I offer you my credit cards and all you can think about is painting the walls? What about art and furniture? Window dressings and china?"

Sookie shrugged, "You gotta work from the bottom up. I need to look at paint and flooring before I can start picking décor. Besides, I like neutral colors for furniture in case I ever change my mind about paint in the future."

"Hmm," he merely nodded along with the deep rumbling of his chest.

The woman grinned, "And like a typical man: a girl starts talking about decorating and he loses all enthusiasm."

"I am merely basking in the glow of your excitement," he explained innocently.

"You know, in less than a half hour, I'm gonna know when you're just teasing me, right?"

"Hence why I need to get it all out of my system now."

Sookie leaned in and pecked her lips against his, "Love you, my obnoxious blond."

"As I love you," he returned her kiss.

The remaining half hour seemed to drag on for the pair, both in so much anticipation that the seconds seemed to take minutes, and the minutes took hours. Finally, Pam returned and told them the floor was clear of humans, and they could hold the Pledging ceremony.

Eric stepped onto the dais, his hand laced with Sookie's, "As I am certain Joseph has relayed to all of you: my Maker, Godric of Ghal, has gifted Ms. Stackhouse to me. It was evident to him from our conversations that a mutual connection formed between Sookie and I during my time training her. There is no cause for unease over sides to be taken. After our Bonding, Godric will be contacting our Queen to explain the situation, and there should be no ill feelings between the Ghal line or the LeQlerc line," he eased the minds of those gathered. "You are not witnessing treason, nor insubordination from a Child to his Maker." There seemed to be a collective murmur of relief at this announcement. "As far as this ceremony goes, I will be officiating, and it will be very quick."

Sookie was surprised at how accurate Eric's last statement was. There were really no bells and whistles to a Pledging ceremony. The knife was in her hand, and she only had a moment to realize that it was some sort of sharpened stone before Eric was guiding it to his throat and helping slice through his flesh. Once she had latched onto the wound he had helped her inflict, Eric's fangs pierced her own neck, and she felt her blood drawing into his mouth.

She could feel Eric's hand covering the side of her face that was exposed to their audience, and as a pleasurable throb began to persistently pulse inside of her, she was grateful that her expression was hidden from view. The last thing she wanted was for anyone other than Eric to see her make that face.

When they had built a rhythm to their drinking, Sookie could feel a strangeness to the familiar sensation in her womb. As her climax began to plateau, the pulsation did not cease in her lower abdomen. Instead, she could feel the release all the way up her spine and into her brain.

Eric's arm stiffened as he felt Sookie's weight begin to tilt away, and he held her tightly to his chest as he pulled his mouth from her throat. It took a moment to disengage Sookie from her own blood offering, but when he managed, the woman was staring up at him dazedly.

"The dagger, Sookie," he murmured into her hair.

Weakly, in a manner that would betray drunkenness, Sookie tilted the dagger fisted in her hand, and she offered it to Eric. The vampire smiled and accepted the blade, slipping it into his belt.

"This is my Bonded: Sookie Stackhouse," Eric declared, holding the boneless woman firmly against his side.

There was a brief applause and murmurs of congratulations before the crowd began to disperse. Soon, all that remained on the floor of Fangtasia were Eric, Sookie, and Pam.

"Congratulations, Master, Mistress." Pam nodded to both of them.

"HA!" Sookie laughed suddenly, and covered her mouth before dissolving into a fit of giggles, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She was still laughing into her hand as she wriggled away from Eric's hold and fell to her bottom on the dais. Tears were rolling down her eyes as she laughed uncontrollably.

"Sookie?"

The woman's mirth broke instantly then, and she began to pant anxiously.

"She's cracking up," Pam smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "She's going to have a hysterical break," she said with certainty.

"Give her a moment," Eric snapped, and Sookie's teeth clenched in response. A strangled rumble reverberated in the girl's chest and Eric rubbed her back soothingly, "Pamela, go mix a gin and tonic for her."

Pam strolled off to the bar, and Eric sat down on the dais as well, pulling Sookie into his lap. Slowly, he eased his own emotions, going into downtime as he held her. Even his concern over Sookie was too strong for her, and it would be better for her if she had a moment to rediscover where her emotions ended before trying to find where his began.

The vampiress returned quickly with the suggested drink, and handed it to Sookie who took it with a trembling hand. "Sorry," she mumbled as the ice within the glass clattered noisily from her shaking, "I thought I'd be fine 'cause of my quirk."

"You are doing fine," Pam said shortly. "Every mortal goes through the same thing. The fact you can speak already is impressive."

"You seen a lot of these?" Sookie asked.

Pam shrugged, "One. When I was first made. They are not common practice, but Eric has told me the particulars of The Hysteria. He has seen about ten or so, and Godric... Well, I cannot say for certain about him. After his Bonded was taken from him... It is considered bad form to talk about the topic candidly. Eric does so because Godric made him for that purpose."

Sookie's eyebrows rose at that, "Godric made Eric to _talk_ to him? Weren't there any better conversationalists back then?"

Pam actually snickered at that, "Godric made Eric for all of it. They are each others' brother, father, and son. They talk about everything, they share everything, and they always protect each other no matter what. They are one another's swift kicks in the ass, and comforting arms. Of course they both usually need the swift kick in the ass more than hugs."

"Why isn't Eric talking?" Sookie asked, realizing that Eric had not moved a hair.

"He has devoid himself of emotional response. Virtually shut down to let you adjust. Honestly, I think it's better to get it over with, but what do I know?" Pam shrugged once more before walking off the floor.

"Darlin', you in there?" Sookie turned in her Bonded's lap, tapping his forehead playfully.

The vampire blinked once, and smiled at her carefully, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I think I got sucker punched with that first bit of amusement you had at Pam callin' me 'Mistress', and I couldn't reel it in before you got worried over me. Everything snowballed after that." She blanched apologetically.

"But right now you are fine?" Eric read the Bond, and could feel her emotions paralleling his sedateness.

Sookie nodded, "Yup, feelin' good," she assured.

Eric smiled gently at her, "I am glad-"

"Eric!" Pam came running back to the floor, holding her Maker's cellphone, "Eric, answer the phone!" She thrust it into his hands.

The vampire frowned, taking the phone, and the frown deepened with confusion as Pam pulled Sookie from his lap.

"This is Northman," Eric boomed into the phone.

"_Northman, this is Isabel. I am second in command of Area 9 in Dallas."_ Sookie could feel the puzzlement in the Bond, and she shook herself free of Pam's hold to sit next to Eric. She took his hand, rubbing it gently. _"Godric is missing."_ Eric jerked his hand away from his Bonded's and he rose from the dais. Sookie began hyperventilating almost immediately, and Pam was looking between the two with worry.

"Elaborate when you say _missing,_" Eric hissed in the phone, regretting the need to distance himself from Sookie, but knowing he had been a split second away from crushing her comforting hand.

"_There was a young vampire that went missing a couple days ago. Godric has been watching out for him as of late since he is not even a hundred yet, and has already lost his Maker,"_ Isabel explained. _"He was investigating the fledgling's disappearance, and I have not seen him in two days. He has not called or texted. You know how deep we are in with the FoTS over here. I am concerned. It is not like our Sheriff to be unreachable. He is-"_

"I know." Eric glanced at Sookie and Pam before continuing, "I will be there this evening. Reserve me a room at the Camilla. I will have a guest with me." He ended the call quickly and turned to Sookie, "My Bonded, it seems I will be the one causing us trouble this time around," he said regretfully.

"What happened?" Sookie asked.

"I do not know, but Godric is not letting me into the Bond which has me concerned," he replied, his voice soft and careful.

Sookie pondered that a moment before saying, "Because that means he doesn't want to be found..."

"Yes." Eric's voice was scarcely above a whisper. "Which means one of two things: either he does not want me to come after him because he is capable of handling the situation himself, or..."

"He's planning to die," Sookie gasped, her hand going to her lips. Eric nodded his confirmation, and Sookie went to her newly Bonded, wrapping her arms around his large frame. "Whatever his reason- we have to go to Dallas!"

"Yes." He looked down at her, regret flooding their freshly made Bond, "I am sorry to do this to you when you are adjusting-"

"Eric," she pressed her fingertips to his lips to silence him, "I will deal with it. This is much more important than keeping my emotions in check. Telepath, remember? I've had to keep a straight face all my life. Just help me where you can. I don't want to be an emotional distraction."

Eric took the hand that was pressed to his lips and kissed it firmly, "We have to get there fast. I will fly us."

Sookie nodded, "Let's go get Godric."

**TBC**

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Sorry if the Bonding Ceremony seemed rushed, but, I'm not going to lie- it's the THIRD Bonding Ceremony I've written for these two, and I thought brevity was better than repetition! Plus, I just REALLY wanted to get our pair to Dallas!**

**PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

**-Andi**


	19. Chapter 18

My Angel

_A/N: Here we are with chapter eighteen!_

_As always: remember that the chapters are written/proofread/edited/rewritten by me and me alone. All errors- spelling and grammatical are mine. Appreciation is given to anyone who points out major flaws in continuity or any references I make that are inaccurate (real world inaccurate, not TB/SVMN inaccurate). Thanks._

_Please enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Sookie tried her best to comb her fingers through her wind tousled hair. Of course, it was no easy matter. Flying in Eric's arms at top speed left her hair more "vortex tangled" than wind tousled, and given their abrupt departure to Dallas, they had forgone packing even the most basic of travel necessities, let alone a brush.

_Or scissors_, she thought with a blanch when she tugged a rather stubborn knot.

"So, this is the Camilla?" Sookie asked as they approached the large, imposing double doors of the vampire hotel.

"Yes." Eric's voice was tight, and she could feel by the Bond that he was anxious. It was all she could do not to begin panting as her heart began to race from his anxiety.

As they entered the lobby, an olive skinned woman whose complexion was rather lackluster was standing there. She turned to Eric and inclined her head, "Northman, thank you for being so prompt. This is your human, yes?"

"My Bonded. As of this very evening." Eric stepped to the side to display the small blonde next to him. "Sookie Stackhouse, this is Isabel. Godric's second in command."

"It's nice to meet you, Isabel," Sookie greeted warmly. "I wish it were under nicer circumstances."

"Your Bonded!" Isabel was stunned, "I heard mention that you would be Bonding later this month, but I did not know you had accelerated your plans." She bowed her head sadly. "My apologies for bringing you here at such a critical time."

"It could not be helped. Now, tell me what you know."

Isabel handed Eric a room key and began leading him to the elevators. The pair followed up several floors to their room. When they entered, they seated themselves in the living room of the suite before the vampiress began.

"Two nights ago, a fledgling went missing. My human, Hugo, told us that the fledgling's been hanging out at a bar not too far from the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters. Godric left two nights ago to begin investigating, but never reported in or returned. Your presence here tells me that he has not met his final death, but if the Fellowship did take him, then it is... Disconcerting to think one as old as he could be taken. Can you feel him now?" she asked.

Eric shook his head, "No. He has closed off his end of the link."

Isabel's shoulders slumped, "I feared as much. He has been melancholy as of late. Since you told him of your impending ceremony," she admitted.

Eric's shoulders tensed, "Yes, I could hear in his voice that, though he was happy for me, there was sadness in him."

"You do not think that he _wished_ to be taken?" Isabel was aware that Godric's moods could lean towards the suicidal at time, and she feared that her Sheriff had used the Fledgling's disappearance as an opportunity to put his existence at stake.

Shaking his head, Eric admitted, "I have my doubts that he would sacrifice himself in such a way, but I know my Bonding has amplified his sorrow as of late." Eric let out a sigh as he considered the possibilities. "Is it possible for you to show me this bar?"

"Yes," Isabell nodded, "I can take you there now."

"Is there a chance I could speak with Hugo?" Sookie asked suddenly. "I'm very good at helping people remember fine details. Maybe someone from that bar will stick out in Hugo's memory, and give us a lead?" she suggested.

Eric glanced at his Bonded, "Yes, that would be a good place to start."

"He is still at work." Isabel frowned, "He is an attorney, and therefore keeps odd hours when he is researching for a case."

"Could I meet with him tomorrow?" Sookie asked urgently. "Then, maybe, by the time y'all are up, we'll have some leads to track."

Eric looked to Isabel for permission, and the vampiress nodded, "I will leave him a message to meet you in the lobby tomorrow. He tells me he is usually up by eleven. Shall we call it noon?"

Sookie nodded. "That will be perfect," she agreed.

"Very well. I am going to do some rounds in the area Godric went to investigate. Northman, will you be joining me since we will save the bar for tomorrow night?"

The vampire glanced at his Bonded, and she could feel his hesitation, "Eric, go," she encouraged. "Just leave me your wallet. We don't have any clothes, so I'll shop in the lobby stores, get us some stuff and then come straight back up here."

Nodding, Eric rose from the couch and reached into his back pocket, taking out several cards and handing them to her. "Walk down with us to the lobby, Sookie, so I can inform them you have permission to use my credit cards."

The woman smiled comfortingly at him, and took Eric's hand as they went back to the elevator. She found it peculiar that they bothered coming up to the room, only to go right back down less than twenty minutes later. She reasoned, though, that vampires were used to their private conversations staying that way, and figured the rooms must be sound proofed.

Isabel glanced at her Sheriff's progeny as they left the hotel, "I am very sorry for taking you away from her after only been Bonded a few hours."

Eric sighed, "It cannot be helped. My Bonded is strong, though, and a very sympathetic individual."

"She seems very lovely."

"You should see her when she is not dressed for Fangtasia. She is a vision in her usual clothing," Eric laughed.

The pair separated a few miles from the bar. It did not take long for Eric to find his Maker's scent and trace it back to the front gate of the Fellowship headquarters. Growling under his breath, Eric began checking the perimeter. He did a fine job of avoiding their security, and could have laughed at what they considered armed sentries. There was no doubt that he could infiltrate the grounds, but the building itself would be a maze, judging by its over all size, and the several buildings. If Godric had been moved from area to area, a scent trail would only lead him haphazardly on the enemy's territory. Though the Viking knew he was merely dealing with mortals and their uninspired combat training, it still gave him pause to do anything just yet.

Pulling out his phone, Eric called Isabel to him, and waited for the vampiress to arrive. "Did you find something?" Isabel asked hopefully as she approached the treeline before the Fellowship's perimeter.

"Godric's scent. I traced it very quickly all the way back to the front gate, or as close as I could get to the gate without being spotted."

Isabel growled in her throat, "It would make sense why Godric would not wish to lure you into that complex. It would be suicide. We have no idea what weapons they have, nor how many in their militia."

"How is your human at infiltration?" Eric asked.

"Terrible," Isabel scowled, "How is yours?"

"The worst. She skips around my nightclub like she is at Disney World. Blending in is not her greatest preoccupation," he laughed under his breath, surprised he could do such a thing under the circumstances.

"Hmm, two socially awkward individuals sound perfect for this particularly scenario," Isabel contemplated.

Eric shook his head, "I would never allow my Bonded within fifteen miles of this place. They would start spouting their bigotry, and Sookie would lose it. She is an advocator for equal rights for all. She has always tried accepting and assisting everyone she meets."

Isabel smiled gently as she felt amusement over the powerful, antisocial Viking tying himself to a social butterfly like Sookie Stackhouse. "Hopefully your Bonded can help Hugo remember anything useful. Perhaps, he can find someone with the Fellowship that we can glamour for information on Godric," she said hopefully.

"That would be optimal. Then we can assure he is even still on the grounds."

"It looks as though we have done all that we can for the evening." Isabel turned away from the fortress to walk back to the car. "I am sure you wish to speak with your Bonded before the sun rises."

Eric followed behind the temporary Sheriff, considering the scenarios behind which his Maker had gone missing.

It had been almost a relief to find Godric's scent leading to the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters. Merely because his presence there gave a third, and only slightly comforting, option to Godric's aversion to his link with Eric. Hopefully his Maker's absence in their bond was for Eric's safety, and not some suicide mission.

Even still, a great unease was growing inside of Eric. It took a moment to realize that the emotion stemmed from Sookie's end of the Bond, and it surprised Eric marginally that his connection to her had changed so much that he had trouble recognizing where one began and the other ended from time to time. Before their Bonding, Eric had always been able to discern his emotions from Pam's, Godric's and Sookie's. Now, Sookie was influencing him so discretely at times that he was momentarily disarmed while interpreting the situation.

When the pair arrived back at the hotel, Isabel remained in the car as Eric climbed out, "I do not want my Bonded leaving the hotel tomorrow. Make sure Hugo is aware of that." Sookie's instinct was to be helpful, and she would do whatever was asked of her, even if it meant putting herself in danger. Especially if she thought it would help Eric. The vampire remembered back to the trap the Rattrays and Compton had laid for her under the ruse of an injured person in the woods.

Making his way to their hotel room, Eric smiled as the door opened for him right as he was pulling out the key.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Sookie jumped against his body, her arms and legs wrapping around him simultaneously. "I was already starting to miss you."

Eric's arms snaked around her waist, cupping her bottom as he walked into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. "I was missing you as well," he told her as he sat down on the couch and began running his fingers along her back. "Sookie, I want you to promise me you will not leave the hotel tomorrow."

"Why would I leave the hotel?" Sookie asked curiously.

"There is a high probability that you will confirm Godric was taken to the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters when you meet Hugo tomorrow. I do not want you investigating that camp," he told her insistently.

"Well, what's the plan if I confirm Godric's there?" Sookie asked.

"I am still working on it," Eric mumbled.

"My Bonded, the vampire of a thousand plans, doesn't have a play for this sort of situation?" Sookie feigned shock.

"Smart ass," Eric smirked.

"But I'm _your_ smart ass." Sookie kissed the side of his temple.

"I can always send a Were in undercover. That should be interesting since Texas is just as bad as Louisiana when it comes to Were/vampire relations," Eric sighed.

"What about my guards?" Sookie insisted.

Eric thought about this, but Were travel could be even more complicated than the conditions for vampires to enter a different area. Sometimes it was even more difficult, especially if the Weres would be working.

The vampire shook his head, "It would take far too long to have them approved by the local pack leader to work the area, particularly under vampire orders."

"Wow, pack business is pretty tight, huh?" Sookie frowned.

"Godric would be the only one who could communicate a negotiation with the Dallas Pack. Isabel might, but I am not certain. Hold on, let me call her." Eric took out his cell phone, and the call was short and disappointing. Indeed, Isabel did not have the relationship to obtain help from the Dallas Pack. They were extremely selective in the vampires they dealt with, and Isabel had not met their standards as of yet. "Well, that was dispiriting." Eric threw his phone onto the end table.

"Eric-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" she huffed.

"You were going to suggest that you infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters and look for Godric yourself." He tilted his head at her lazily as if to say that she were so predictable that it required very little energy for him to follow her train of thought.

"Do you have to know everything?"

"I try to."

There was a long silence before Sookie tried again, "What if-"

"No."

"Why not?" she whined.

Eric turned on the sofa and took her face into his palms, "Because you are my Bonded, and even if it were not for Niall's spell, I would _still_ die without you."

"I won't die."

"You cannot promise me that!" He released her face and rose sharply from the couch.

"I PROMISE!" She stood up just as quickly, shouting her declaration. "I can promise that I won't die tomorrow."

Eric spun and looked at her angrily. "How do you think that you could promise that?" Instant, true death at her demise would be a great mercy at this point. He loved her far too greatly to fathom the possibility of existing without her. Still, that moment as his body disintegrated into sinewy pieces would be the most agonizing of all. Not due to the pain of death, but the torment of knowing the world now existed without Sookie Stackhouse in it!

"Because I'm the most stubborn woman you ever met, and if you think I won't argue with the Grim Reaper until you can save me, then you don't know me very well!" She planted her hands on her hips. "Eric," her expression softened at the small smile that curved his lips at her joke, "please, don't make me go behind your back. You _know_ that when I get a stupid idea, I'm almost obligated to follow through with it. I have a much better chance of doing this safely if you helped me plan."

"You are _not_ going!" he roared at her continued pleading and now the blatant threat.

"You can't stop me once the sun rises," she snapped back. "You're not changing my mind. I'd rather risk everything than the repercussions of Godric dying. If he dies, not only is it going to hurt you, but it can hurt us!"

"What in the world are you-"

"If Godric dies before he can tell the Queen he gifted you to me, what do you think will happen!?" she demanded. "You think the Queen will take you at your word? You think she won't claim that you took me against his will, and you didn't concoct some plan to have him abducted by the Fellowship? Without Godric's word that I was given to you, it's all speculation, and I don't even want to know what she'd do to you."

"It is taboo to harm a Bonded couple," Eric dismissed her worries.

"It is a taboo to harm _me_ while I'm not a vampire, right? I'm still human, they don't care what happens to ME! They care about what happens to the vampire. Another suffering human, oh boo hoo!" Sookie's arms flung into the air. "You're not even thinking about how much I will suffer if the Queen takes action against you. If she declares this as treason she can have you killed, and I won't live without you. I'm not strong like Godric, and I won't have an eternity to hope for you to find me!" Sookie shook her head sadly, "The favoring of a Bonded couple is only extended to the vampire, not the one who's still human. The greatest mercy they could give me is killing me, but Sophie-Anne would just turn me into her pet telepath. You know it's true."

"Sookie-"

"I'm going tomorrow! You're not stopping me. If you're not helping me, then you're just putting my life at greater risk." She could feel the terror growing strongly into his end of the Bond. "I'd rather us both die tomorrow than try nothing at all. I'd rather us both die tomorrow than become the shell of who I am in the clutches of the Queen!"

Eric could feel her determination building in the Bond, and he sighed with what seemed resignation, "I will do everything I can to keep you safe," he promised. "Go get ready for bed. I have a quick errand to run, and then we will discuss the plan for tomorrow when I get back."

Sookie's face lit up at her Bonded's decision, her anger melting away. He was going to help her, and she could not feel more relieved than if he would be coming with her on this mission. There was still fear in him, but she knew that nothing would take that away.

Hopping off to the bathroom, Sookie showered, used the facilities, and put on her nightgown before hopping into bed to await Eric's return. When he arrived back in the room, she could feel a coursing regret filling the Bond. She frowned at him as he leaned over the bed and kissed her. Terror, worry, indecision. Sookie had never felt such powerful emotions in her life. She tried to kiss his anxiety away, her hands going to his face as her mouth coaxed and soothed. When Eric took her wrist into his hand, she thought nothing of it, until the cold encasement of metal encircled her wrist, and a series of clicks rented the air.

Pulling away in shock, Sookie looked at the chrome bracelet around her wrist, and gasped sharply when that arm was jerked and the handcuff was secured to the headboard.

"Eric Northman!" she cried, yanking at her captured arm. "You let me go right now!"

Eric shook his head, "I cannot do that." He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, "You were being honest when you said you would go behind my back if I did not give you my permission to infiltrate the Fellowship. I regret the discomfort you will be in tomorrow, but I do not regret doing what I must to keep you safe." He rubbed his face in his palms briskly before his saddened voice murmured, "I thought that you had grown up, Sookie. I thought you were ready to be Bonded. You grew up so much these past months, but you are still as short sighted and selfish as ever."

"I'm doing this for us-"

"You're doing this for yourself. You did not think that I had a plan for something like this? Sookie, my Maker and I are honest with one another. Neither one of us denied the presence of his suicidal tendencies. Godric made documented records of his gifting you to me. Sophie-Anne would not have a leg to stand on in charges for treason. Isabel _has_ the documents. She can submit them in the course of Godric's final death, and they are ironclad." Sookie's mouth slung open at the claim.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was not an issue until you made it one. There is no arguing with you. I have known that a long time. You continue to assume that I do not consider all possibilities- even the ones that I wish I had no cause to consider. Do you know how difficult it was for Godric and I to discuss the possibility that he could very well end his existence at any moment? Do you not think that the possibility of that has not weighed on my very soul for a millennium?" The boom of his voice rattled the woman to her core, and she felt herself shrink back against the headboard.

"Eric," Sookie whimpered, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help-"

"Scaring me, and threatening me is _not helping_."

Sookie trembled at the pain in their Bond, and tears began to roll from her eyes without her permission. "I'm sorry."

"You can be sorry, but you will not be released until I rise tomorrow." The vampire left the bed and went to the living room. It hurt to even put that much distance between them, but it would be far more torturous to lie beside a woman so angry with him. She was sorry, he knew this, but she was also angry to have her plans foiled.

Sookie looked at her bound arm and contemplated it. She wondered if Eric had forgotten about her meeting with Isabel's human, Hugo. If he had, and did not contact Isabel before sunrise, she might have a way out of her bindings.

Still, as Sookie looked at the shackle, she considered more than an escape. She thought about what escaping would mean. It would mean, the evening following her Pledging ceremony, when she had given Eric the dagger symbolizing her acceptance of his role as her protector; she would be disregarding that commitment.

As much as she wanted to help, and as angry as she was, Sookie would not betray her Pledge. She berated herself for needing to be forcefully restrained to gain the proper perspective of things. Eric was right again. She had not grown up as much as she had thought. She was still the brave little fool that had gone into the woods alone, searching for a victimized individual and became one instead.

"Eric," Sookie called gently, knowing he could hear her, "call Isabel and cancel my meeting with Hugo. If he comes to the hotel, I'll be tempted to ask him to help me get out."

The vampire came to the doorway of the bedroom and stared at his sulking mate, "Thank you."

Sookie gave him a small smile in return as she felt his relief, "I'm still sorry."

"I know," he came back to the bed and kissed her tenderly, "but you are still remaining tethered."

"Eric, will you at least hold me while I sleep?" she asked. "I know you were planning on staying on the couch, but I really am sorry, and I'm really not mad at you. So, will you please still hold me?"

Rising from the bed once more, Eric took the key to the handcuffs and put it on the dresser far away from the bed, "Just to keep temptation out of arm's reach," he told her before taking his phone out and calling Isabel to cancel Sookie's meeting with Hugo. After that was done, he climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around his Bonded, "I am sorry that I said those things to you."

Sookie's face twitched into a brief grimace at the mentioning, "You weren't wrong. I was being stupid. Worse yet, I knew I was, and I still pushed."

"You still did not deserve to hear me say that." Sookie snuggled deeper into Eric's chest before she gave a brief snort of amusement. "What?" he asked.

"You _still _didn't lie to me," she realized.

"Pardon?"

"Before, when you told me to get ready for bed?" she reminded him. "You didn't say we'd discuss our plans for infiltrating the Fellowship. You said we'd discuss our plans for tomorrow." She rolled her eyes at the realization, "I seriously need to pay more attention to how you phrase things."

Smirking to himself, Eric pressed his forehead to hers, "Yes, I can be tricky like that."

"Well, I guess I had all this coming. Is the sun going to rise soon?" she asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Yes, in about an hour," he told her.

"What about the windows in here?" she asked.

"The screen will drop shortly," he assured her. "It filters the UV that harms us, but still allows visibility through the glass. It is the closest ancients like myself will ever come to seeing the sunrise again."

"Why only ancients?" Sookie asked.

"We can remain aware shortly after sunrise and before sunset. Youngsters are rendered dead before the sun can fully break the horizon," he explained. "They will suffer sun sickness almost instantaneously if they fight the call to rest."

"Oh, so could you actually stand in the sunlight for a bit?" she was curious.

"No. Though ancients can withstand the initial rising and fall of the sun without suffering immediate ailment, we combust much quicker than the young ones."

"Interesting trade-off," she frowned.

"Yes."

"What if you were wearing a high sunblock?" she teased.

"It would need to be SPF 9000," he joked back.

"I'm glad we're not fighting anymore." She nuzzled against him affectionately.

"As am I," he smiled.

"We'll figure out what to do about Godric. I know we will."

"I believe you."

Sookie gazed at her Bonded, hoping that her earlier miscalculation was not still wearing at him. The Bond felt content, and even Eric's continuous anxiety over Godric had been tempered. She sighed with relief at this discovery, and squashed herself as close to him as she could. After a good day's sleep, and the thinking she would have plenty of time to do in the morning, Sookie knew she could think of a better alternative than her spontaneous infiltration plan.

"Good night."

"Goodnight, My Bonded," Eric whispered.

**TBC**

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please remember to review!**

**-Andi**


	20. Chapter 19

My Angel

_A/N: Okay, guys, I am here with the next chapter. Posting a bit ahead of schedule, but I get the feeling no one really minds! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Nineteen:**

Sookie jerked awake when she felt her arm flop from the headboard and smack her in the face. Her eyes widened in alarm as she felt the formerly bound arm pull towards her midline, and before she could comprehend who the hell was standing in front of her, she felt the ring of metal secure over her previously free wrist.

"Keep your mouth shut," a harsh voice said in the dimness of the tinted windows just as Sookie's mouth widened to let out a shriek.

Sookie blinked several times at the unfamiliar man in front of her. "Who the hell are you!?" she shouted at last, struggling against his hands that were pulling her from the bed.

"I said to shut the fuck up!" the man snarled slapping her hard in the face. At the contact, the telepath saw images of Isabel in his mind.

"You're Hugo!" she realized, clutching her reddened cheek. The man sneered, but did not deny the accusation "Let me go!" She jerked her arms, trying to dive at Eric. He might have been dead for the day, but even if she could raise him for a minute, she knew he could protect her from the deranged man in their hotel room.

Before she could reach him, she felt a sharp yank at her hair, and she was pulled back onto the ground with enough force that it knocked the wind from her chest.

"If you move towards him again, I will end his dead ass," Hugo snapped at her, and Sookie cringed at the motivation in his tone. He would not hesitate to follow through with the threat. "As it is, I have a much more _fulfilling_ agenda." Whatever it was, Hugo did a marvelous job of not reflecting on his plans. That alone made Sookie recoil. Either he was aware of her gift, or he was a very good tactician, with the utmost faith in his plan. "Now, you are going to put on some clothes and follow me to the parking garage without making a scene."

"Why the hell would I do that? Once you're out of this room you can't hurt Eric!" Sookie growled at him.

"Because of that," Hugo jerked his thumb at a laptop sitting on the dresser where the key to the handcuffs had been placed.

"And what's so scary about that?"

"I have a hack in place for the UV shields of this hotel." Hugo smirked at her horrified expression. "It took a few months to get, but amazing things happen when one is properly motivated." His smirk turned into a scowl, and Sookie inched away from the mad man as she clambered back to her feet. "If you make any sort of a scene, I press a button and the UV shields of the entire hotel go up, torching every vamp in the hotel _including_ your _Bonded,_" he said, the last word dripping with so much hatred that Sookie could feel a whimper build in her throat.

"O-okay," she rasped around the fear in her throat. "Okay, I-I'll put on some clothes." She went over to a plastic bag that had her purchases from the previous night. "Y-you have to undo my cuffs though, or I can't get it on." She held out her arms.

Hugo sneered at the blonde before coming over and unlocking one of her wrists. He could see the temptation in her eyes to attempt taking him on, but Hugo told her immediately, "You aren't the only one who's had vamp blood." He made his point by nearly crushing her wrist with his increased strength. The woman choked on a sob at the pain, but nodded in understanding before quickly getting dressed.

The woman's body was shaking as she glanced worriedly over her shoulder. Hugo was watching her every move, and Sookie felt embarrassed and ashamed as he watched her dress. She did her best to keep her body as hidden as possible, succeeding for the most part, but she was still unnerved at her considerable vulnerability.

After she was dressed, Hugo refastened her handcuffs and threw a shirt over the metal to hide the bindings. "Now follow like a good girl." 

Sookie sniffled the whole way down the elevator to the parking garage, eyeing the laptop in Hugo's arm. Part of her was terrified that the lunatic would run the program whether she went with him or not, but another part of her was hopeful that Hugo would show mercy.

_I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do..._ Sookie felt the panic welling up inside of her. Every bravado statement she had declared the previous night was mocking her insistently. She realized suddenly and with such despair how right Eric had been. She was still a child. No matter how much her telepathy had aged her, she was not prepared for this. She could not calculate the way Eric could. She could not comprehend a single course of action.

A fish on land, gulping for air that was in cruel abundance, but her body was not equipped to receive. That was her mind at that moment, gasping pleadingly for answers or plans that her inexperienced mind could not actualize.

When they arrived at a small, old model sedan, Sookie shivered as Hugo popped the trunk. Her fears were realized when he told her to get in it, and she was shut away in the darkness. When she was entombed within the trunk, Sookie let out a loud sob. There was no trunk safety release in a model this old, and no passage from the trunk to the backseat.

"Eric," she whispered the name like a prayer, "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry." She was hiccuping as softly as she could into her hands. "I promise I'll never put us in danger again. I promise to grow up. I promise, I promise, I promise." She was praying, pleading for mercy from some higher being, all while apologizing over and over before Hugo could even get to the driver's seat.

Sookie shifted as she heard the car engine burst into life, and felt the vehicle begin to move. The jolt seemed to snap the woman out of her fearful bargaining. Instead of continuing to wallow in her fear, the telepath forced herself to take long breaths and relax, focusing her gift on Hugo. If she was going to be stuck in a trunk for God knew how long, she was going to get as much information as she could!

Unfortunately, Hugo was not focusing all that much on his plan, or how well his plan had worked up until this point. At the moment, he was concentrating on the road, and the most she could discern was his meek driving skills. Of course, if Sookie had abducted someone and shoved them in the trunk of her car, she would have been a timid driver as well so as to avoid being pulled over.

Eventually a thought flitted through his mind that made Sookie sob. Hugo had not hacked the UV shields at the Camilla. It had been a bluff. One that the telepath had bought hook, line, and sinker. His original intention was to have their meeting as scheduled and convince her to do reconnaissance at the Fellowship of the Sun Headquarters. This frustrated and angered the woman with herself, which was a surprisingly welcome alternative to her earlier despair. Not only because she knew he would have easily convinced her, but mostly because she had not seen passed the deception. Then again, Drew Marshall had deceived her for years, and she had spoken with him on several occasions.

Obviously, telepathy was a circumstantial tool. She had learned over the years that thoughts were like raindrops. It was impossible to predict what memory or thought would flitter across one's brain, and whether she would be paying attention when useful information was being considered.

Reflective self-loathing began to set in. Sookie realized how much her gift had lulled her into a false sense of security. Its presence in her life had depleted her of gut instinct. Believing that she knew everything, that nothing could get the jump on her because she would _see it coming._

Once again she was that fish, always getting caught on the hook because she could not pass up a free meal. Because she could not see the metallic glean of ill fortune within the promise of a gift.

Finally the car came to an extended stop, and Sookie wriggled impatiently as she waited to discover where she had been taken.

"Where is she?" a female voice asked excitedly.

"In the trunk," Hugo's voice was growing closer.

"This is so exciting!" the female voice sounded again right outside the lid of the trunk. "Just think of the message we'll send those bloodsuckers when we eradicate one of the oldest and most influential bloodlines in the United States!"

The trunk lid swung open then, and Sookie looked up at a slim, blonde woman standing next to Hugo. She looked like a Stepford wife, and that made Sookie want to grind her teeth for some reason.

"I am Sarah Newlin, wife of the Fellowship of the Sun Reverend Steve Newlin." The woman waved at the captured telepath, "You must be Sookie Stackhouse. We've heard _so much _about you."

_They know I'm a telepath._ Sookie officially confirmed and scowled as she began to piece together the obvious series of events that had landed her in a trunk. "The reservations at the Camilla," Sookie ground out, "they were under Hugo's name, weren't they? So you just told them you lost your room key and they duplicated ours. That's how you got in our room."

"She's quick," Hugo frowned. "I _know_ I didn't think about that at all since I took her."

"Well," Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, "I suppose since she's an abomination just like the bloodsuckers, I won't feel so guilty when we make an example of her." She looked at Hugo, "Take her inside. Steve wants to meet her later."

The man hauled Sookie out of the trunk, practically dragging her across the grounds. Wondrously, no one they passed seemed to notice or care that a bound woman was being hauled around the property against her will.

No one said anything as Sookie was escorted through the labyrinth of the "church", nor did anyone they pass look at her with any sort of curiosity or concern. That merely cemented the realization that everyone was well aware of her, and knew full well what the plan for her was. A tremble traversed Sookie's spine at this enlightenment, and it was only made more intense due to the fact that everyone seemed to have the mental discipline not to think of it in her presence.

Lead to a stairwell, Sookie shivered at the idea of being locked in a basement. She already felt cold from her impending doom, and a dank basement would not help the matter. However, one fortunate burst of realization dawned on Sookie then. There was a void in the basement. _Please be Godric. Please be Godric_. Sookie thought over and over as a prayer.

As Sookie met the cement floor of her dungeon, she observed a metal cage that she was quickly shoved inside of. Sarah undid one of her cuffs and secured it to the bar near the observation floor. The telepath murmured in distress, realizing that being bound in such a manner left her extremely vulnerable. She could not fight back like this, nor escape any blows.

"Steve will be down later," Sarah said in a sickeningly sweet tone as she left the cell and ascended the staircase.

"I can't wait!" Sookie shouted at her back. When she heard the door snap at the top of the stairs, she looked at Hugo expectantly. She did not have to wait long for his assault to begin.

Quickly, the man came through the doorway of the cage, reeling with anger. His fists, powered with vampire blood and rage, rained down upon her face. At one point, she nearly threw up from a sucker punch to her solar plexus, but she managed to hold back the contents of her stomach. By the time Hugo was panting and exhausted, the woman was crumbled against the bars, suspended by her shackle that kept her from finding rest at the ground.

Sookie could feel blood trickling from her mouth. She could scarcely see the red stream that was staining the front of her shirt with how badly her eye was swelling. Tears were filling in her eyes as Hugo's hateful thoughts coursed through her brain.

"_It's what Isabel deserves!" _Hugo shouted in his mind, _"I know what happens to entire bloodlines when one of them kills a Bonded mate!"_

Sookie was gaping at the deranged man as blood trickled down her nose and mouth. His hatred towards Isabel was so intense, that she could not quite understand where it started at. It was becoming clearer and clearer what Hugo's motivations were. As Isabel's human, his actions reflected directly on her. If he killed a vampire's Bonded Mate, Isabel would be put to death just as swiftly as Hugo would be.

As the telepath watched his thoughts, flashbacks of his plan, all she could do was gape as more blows pounded into her battered body.

The Fellowship members surveying Fangtasia, awaiting the time Sookie and Eric were Bonded. Leaking information to Isabel about Godric's apparent abduction by the Fellowship. Urging Isabel to contact Eric and beg his assistance. The original plan to get Sookie to come to the Headquarters of her own volition, which he had to quickly turn into an abduction when she cancelled their meeting.

Hugo pushed Sookie's head to the side before gripping his hands together tightly and bringing them down in a blinding crash against the shoulder she was suspended by. The shriek that tore from Sookie's throat as she not only felt the joint dislocate, but the bone of her arm break, made Hugo recoil as though he did not know the human voice could make such a sound! His eyes were wide as though he were scared or regretful, but she could hear an amusement in his thoughts. He had surprised himself at his own strength.

The woman sobbed as she tried to force her tired legs to support more weight, and relieve her destroyed shoulder of some of its burden. She listened as Hugo went up the stairway, and she was left alone.

When the door at the top of the stairs opened and shut, Sookie wailed out into the emptiness before her, "GODRIC! GODRIC, ARE YOU DOWN HERE WITH ME!?"

There was only silence after her echoing cry died away, and she leaned her burning forehead against the cold metal of the bars. Periodically, she would call Godric's name until her voice was harsh from sobs of pain, and cries for help.

"Whose voice is that?" a male called from behind a door nearly an hour later.

"It's Sookie. Eric's Bonded!" she yelled back around sobs.

"Sookie, what are you-"

"The Fellowship broke into our hotel room. He threatened Eric's life, and I went with him to protect Eric," Sookie hiccuped. "Please, make sure Eric knows I didn't do this on purpose! I swear I didn't try and break into this place. I promise I didn't-" she babbled around her cries. Her legs were wobbling beneath her as pain wracked her body in a cold sweat and nausea. She tried to steady the quaking limbs, every brief moment of collapse sending indescribable pain through her destroyed arm.

"Quiet, Sookie." Godric said as gently as he could while shouting through a door, "We have all been betrayed. I know that you did not do this to yourself. This was done to us by one we thought we could trust."

"Hugo," Sookie frowned.

"Yes. He subdued a young vampire, and offered him to the Fellowship as bait for me. I surrendered myself for the young one's safety. They killed him after I was fastened in silver," Godric explained.

"What are we going to do? You obviously didn't think Eric could handle the Fellowship since you closed your end of the Link."

"I closed the Link in the hopes that I could escape without bloodshed. Eric will destroy all in his wake to get to me, and I did not want that. However, seeing as they have now taken you... I fear the entire facility will be leveled along with those who reside in it," the vampire sounded sad at this. "Did I hear you right before? Did you say you were Bonded now?"

Sookie smiled sadly to herself, "Last night."

"I am very sorry that this situation kept you from enjoying your newly forged Bond. When Adairia and I first Bonded, I made love to her endlessly for the first month." Sookie could hear the pain and merriment in his voice. The memory of this woman filled him with so much joy and pain.

"Do you still think she'll come back to you?" Sookie asked, wanting his voice to distract her from her own pain.

There was a long pause before Godric replied, "I do not know that she was meant to come back to me."

"But Eric said-"

"Her last words to me could have meant that she would be with me again when I met my final death. I cannot be certain," Godric sighed.

"What were her last words?" Sookie asked curiously.

"If I were to utter them, I feel that my heart would shatter into a thousand pieces. Even my Child does not know for certain what she said. Those words will be mine until she says them to me again."

Sookie thought for a long moment before she spoke again, "Godric, I hate to ask this, especially since you and I don't really know each other yet... But... Did you _want_ the Fellowship to take you?"

"Even I can not say for certain what my desires were when I agreed to the trade. I definitely did not wish for it to cause you or my Child this much grief. That is the most I can say for certain." Godric let out a sigh before continuing, "And now my poor judgement has put my bloodline in peril."

"Can Eric take them?" Sookie asked breathlessly.

"He could, but you are the trump card. By having you, they can control him."

"I'm sorry," Sookie sniffled into her uninjured arm.

"It is not your fault, Sookie," Godric tried to comfort her.

"I don't know how true that is," she murmured sadly. "If I had stayed focused... If I hadn't panicked... If I had _listened-_ I might have realized Hugo's bluff. I might have tried to overtake him in the elevator, or something. I could have done so much more. I could have fought harder. I could have-"

"Sookie," Godric's voice was a soothing lull, "you are not trained to do such things."

"I didn't fight to protect him. Now he's in even greater danger!"

"Hugo has had Isabel's blood recently. It is quite unlikely you could have fought him successfully. Though Eric's blood is stronger than Isabel's, it would only help you marginally. It is better this way."

"How is it better?" she sobbed.

"Because you are still alive. I cannot say that would be true if you had tried to fight Hugo."

Sookie found a new bar to rest her heated face against before asking, "What do I do, Godric? Tell me what to do."

"We wait until my Child has risen, and when he makes his assault on the Fellowship, you follow our lead. Just stay alive until then," Godric instructed. "That is all you must do. Stay alive."

"When will Eric rise?"

"In the hour, but he cannot come to us for almost another two."

"Are you silvered?" Sookie asked.

"Yes. Otherwise I would have broken out immediately," Godric assured her. "Still trying to decide whether I want to end my existence, are we?" his voice was surprisingly teasing under the circumstances.

"I just don't want to see or feel Eric in the pain losing you would cause him."

"I pray that you nor Eric ever feel the pain of loss that I have."

"I can't imagine it," Sookie whispered, knowing he could still hear her. "Why didn't you end it all yet?"

"A century ago, I had planned on it, but Eric was not ready. He still needed me. Then, when the connection Niall made between the two of you happened, I realized that until some finality was brought in regards to you, I could not have my end. If Eric were killed, Pam is too young still to fend for herself. She would lose her existence very quickly once Eric was taken from her. Whether out of Eric's enemies' spite, or that temper of hers."

"Is anyone really ready to lose someone they care about? I mean, my Gran's getting old, and I understand that she can't live forever. It doesn't mean I'll ever be ready for her to die," Sookie said thoughtfully.

"That is true, Sookie, but when I say that Eric was not ready for me to go, it was not in the sense of preparedness," Godric tried to explain. "Even with Pam at his side, or because Pam was with him, Eric was not changing. He was remaining the cold, stoic individual he had always been since I created him."

"I don't think he's cold or stoic."

"That is because _you_ are why he is no longer those things." Sookie smiled at that, searching with her sweating face for a cool bar that had not been heated by her burning skin. "Therefore, if I have not found Adairia by the time you are turned, then I will go find her in the afterlife."

"Godric-"

"It is my decision, Sookie." Godric's voice was so soft that she had to strain to hear him

"I've never heard someone talk about killing themselves and sounding so wistful."

"Hopefully you will never hear it pass from your own lips."

The sound of the door opening and shutting above the staircase caused Sookie to lift her head from the bars. She watched as a brown haired man with a plastic smile came into view. Hugo walked several paces behind the man Sookie presumed was Steve Newlan. Another man walked in behind Hugo. He was large with short gray hair shaped into a crew cut.

"Ah, the infamous Sookie Stackhouse!" the new man greeted, completely without surprise to the state of her abused body. "I'm Reverend Steve Newlan," he introduced, confirming Sookie's suspicions. "You know Hugo, of course. The other man is Gabe," he identified the stranger.

"You realize you signed the death certificate of everyone in this place by taking me, right?" Sookie asked haughtily. She suddenly felt an intense flare of confusion, rage, disbelief, and finally, but undeniably, _terror_. Apparently Eric had risen, and was very unhappy. She wished fruitlessly that she could hide her pain from him. Not because she did not want him to come to her, but because she knew that he was in the same pain she was. It tore her apart to know that her pain was killing him.

"I don't believe so." Steve smiled. "After all, it's easy enough to lure your vampire here, and we have more than enough Soldiers of the Sun to subdue him. If worse comes to worst, we use you as a bargaining chip like we did with that young vampire when we took Godric. What was that bloodsucker's name again?" he looked to Hugo.

"Daniel," Hugo whispered. Sookie was disgusted to find that Isabel's lover was unashamed of everything he had done up until this point, but even more alarmed that he did not mind the necessary evils he had committed in the pursuit of destroying Sookie and disgracing Isabel.

"Ah, that's right. Well, I don't suppose it matters since no one will be calling on him again," Steve chuckled to himself.

Sookie ground her teeth before spitting, "You used him as bait for Godric and then killed him anyway."

Steve laughed at her anger. "Of course! You know that it never ends well for the bait."

The telepath's jaw slung open as a cry of, "DON'T!" tore from her lips as Gabe grabbed the top of Hugo's head on one side and under his jaw on the other. Before Sookie's shout could finish sounding, Gabe jerked his hands and snapped Hugo's neck.

"Like I said: it never ends well for the bait," Steve sighed, looking down at Hugo's corpse with disgust as it collapsed to the ground, "Of course, he thought he was a hook."

"Why?" Sookie sobbed for the dead man, despite the nightmare he had brought her in to. Her despair had agitated Eric further, and she could practically feel him prowling anxiously, awaiting the full descent of the sun.

"Because he was a jealous, jilted fangbanger. He was not on our side because he found the light. He sided with us to get to you." Steve sneered. "The constant whining about how unfair it was that he had been loyal to Annabel, and she wouldn't turn him."

"Isabel."

"Whatever." Steve waved off her correction. "Then he heard that you would be doing bondage with some vampire, and he wanted to make you suffer for getting what he couldn't."

"Bonding."

Steve looked at her lazily. "Do you really think I care about some bastardization of marriage?"

"That's how I ended up here? Because I have something he didn't?" Sookie shook her head with disbelief.

"Actually, you are here because you're a whore of Satan." Steve smiled in such a way that fearful goosebumps erupted all over Sookie's body. "With or without Hugo's assistance, we would have made an example of you. Of course there are plenty of lost souls willing to corrupt their bodies by giving their blood and genitals to the bloodsucking abominations, but it is all cheap fantasy. They want vampire blood. They want the demonic sex. They are a dime a dozen. But _you_? I heard about the _bonding_ thing. Hugo explained all about what it is." Steve shook his head in a faux sympathetic manner. "You actually fell in love with a minion of Satan, and have resigned yourself to becoming one yourself. If there is anyone that needs to be made an example of, it is you."

"Because I promote love instead of hatred?" Sookie spat.

"Because you perpetuate the lie that a vampire _can _love," Steve snapped back. "Only creatures with souls can love, and the lies about "bonding"," he went so far as to place air quotes instead of saying it like a dirty word this time, "will confuse the masses who have not yet come to realize the evil nature of the vampires."

"What was evil and soulless about Godric sacrificing himself to free Daniel?" Sookie asked quietly. "Would you do that for someone you barely know? Or even someone you know very well? If vampires took your wife, would you offer your life in exchange for hers?" Sookie demanded harshly. "Because that's what Eric and I would do. For each other, for Godric, and... Well I probably wouldn't for Pam, but I'm sure Eric and Godric would."

"What about your family?" Newlan asked.

Sookie's brow knit in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Would you exchange your life for theirs? Would they do the same for you?" he pressed, and Sookie did not like the excited curiosity that rolled off of him in waves.

"Of course! We're family!" Sookie said with absolute certainty.

"Let's find out." Newlan's face broke into such a malicious smile that it sent a wave of despairing nausea throughout the woman.

Gabe, without any prompting, pounded his fist on the wall of the stairwell, echoing the boom against the drywall. When the door up top opened shortly after, and Sookie could hear footsteps, her body broke into violent, jerking sobs. She could already hear her Gran and brother's minds. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered over and over again.

_Hush, Darlin',_ Gran's voice sounded annoyed in her head, _you don't have anything to be sorry about._

Sookie looked up to see both her grandmother and brother's faces bruised and marked with assault. Her uninjured hand clasped over her face in horror that her family had been abused on account of her.

"Gran! Jason!" she cried, reaching for them through the bars. "I'm sorry-"

"Shut it, Sooks." Jason shrugged his shoulders and Sookie realized he was trying to adjust the discomfort of his wrists bound behind his back. Gran was shackled in a similar manner.

"Why!?" Sookie demanded of Newlan.

"I want to know who you would choose. Your human brother and grandmother, or your demon co-fornicator?" Newlan looked at her as if he were actually curious of her choice.

Sookie smiled weakly. There was no way to explain to this hateful man that Eric was her family as well as Jason and Gran. There was no possible way to express that she would do anything for any of them. Therefore, she said the only thing that she could, "My family. Always my family. Wherever they are is always home, and I can always find home."

Gran smiled at her granddaughter even as Gabe pointed the barrel of a gun behind her head, "You will _always_ find me."

The girl's teeth gritted, her eyes wide and unblinking as she waited for her world to stop. The world was in silence as she grimly anticipated the deafening sound of the bullet rocketing into the loving mind of the woman who sacrificed, raised, and loved her unconditionally.

Instead, the air was rented by a heart stopping roar that echoed from the hallway. There were metallic sounds that Sookie could not understand, and then the thundering eruption of a prison door being kicked open.

Everyone, including a stunned Gabe and Steve Newlan, stared at the vampire down the hall. His eyes were wild, a look of complete denial consuming his features as the burns of silver began to slowly heal all over his body. The crazed stare of his eyes and his ability to break free of silver alerted Sookie to something she had only heard mention of:

Berserker State.

"ADAIRIA, I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU!" Godric screamed at the top of his lungs.

Adele's body froze as his words rung in her wizened ears. The voice truer than her imagination had ever conujured. She felt her old, fragile body wrack with sobs, as the vision of her imaginary friend from childhood stood before her eyes. "Godric," she whispered the name which had eluded her all of her life. Tears flowed from her eyes which seemed to illuminate with joy.

Sookie and Jason watched in shock as Gran's body trembled far too intensely to be humanly possible. Her skin itself seemed to vibrate, and the siblings could not resist involuntarily leaning backwards as that paper thin flesh seemed to tear.

"Gran?" Sookie whimpered just as a beam of light tore its way down Adele's spine. The old woman did not cry in pain, but seemed to gasp in release.

The aging body split like a chrysalis and fell to the ground along with her restraints in a heap at the feet of, what Sookie could only describe as, a very young, very elfin, and very naked looking Gran. Her hair spiraled in golden ringlets down the smooth expanse of her back, and pointed ears peaked through the blonde tresses atop her head. The wisdom of her blue eyes remained, but a youthful vibrance shown where it had not in decades. A pair of translucent wings flickered at the space between the woman's shoulder blades, the shape of angel wings, but so opaque, that they seemed an illusion.

The Stackhouse siblings might have stood a moment in shock if the wind were not suddenly knocked out of the pair of them. Jason fell to his knees as his sister clutched at the bars of her cage to hold herself up, and as Sookie felt a pressure between her shoulders, she looked up to see that Jason was all right.

Simultaneous to the explosion that brought a set of blood splattered wings from Jason's back, Sookie could feel the same sensation building in her own body followed by a blinding pain. Soon, a shadow cast over her head, and the telepath craned her neck to see her own ivory wings in full span above her.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?" Newlan screamed in panic and confusion.

"I," the former Adele Stackhouse began, "am Adairia, and this is an Awakening of Angels." Sookie and her brother were still trying to catch their breaths from the first display of their wings, but they managed to listen in stunned bafflement at what was being said. "If you will excuse me," Adairia nodded her head at the two, cowering men, "there is something I have waited two thousand years for..."

Adairia stepped out of the husk of her mortal body and walked to the trembling form of Godric. His gray eyes were running with bloody tears that streamed down his face. "My blood, my life, my _Bonded mate,_" Godric sobbed as Adairia took his weeping face into her soft, warm hands. Her lips gently met his before his arms wrapped securely around her petite body and held her close.

When their lips parted just enough for the angel to speak, she whispered, "As I've said before: _you will always find me_."

**TBC**

**A/N: PLEASE, REMEMBER TO REVIEW, EVERYONE!**

**-ANDI**


	21. Chapter 20

My Angel

_A/N: Good morning, everyone. I am going to be getting home from work kind of late tonight, so I decided to post before leaving for my shift. I was laughing at all of the reviews, mostly because a lot of you confirmed that I accomplished my goal of surprising you all with Gran's true identity. I was dropping hints all along the way, and trying to hide them with either an Eric and Sookie fight, or a lot of sexy stuff. Sorry this turned Sookie into such an annoying brat, but she was the only one of the two that would initiate a fight, and I couldn't risk anyone speculating too much on Gran!_

_So, thanks again, and please enjoy!_

_-Andi_

**Chapter Twenty:**

"You almost didn't make it, Godric." Adairia smiled after the vampire had kissed her breathless. "That body only had a few more years left in it!"

"How? What? When-"

"Later, My Love. Right now, we have many lives to save from your Child. There is only a few moments before true dark, and he will arrive and kill everyone here if Sookie does not stop him," she explained quickly.

"Knowing that they harmed the loved ones of my Bonded, I feel compelled to let him let loose his rage upon them," Godric confessed playing idly with her fingers, as though still unable to believe that those hands were within reach of his own.

Adairia shook her head sadly. "They are still man, Godric. I am an angel, a servant of mankind, and I cannot permit him to slaughter those who dwell here. No matter the hardships they have caused me."

"Gr-Adairia..." Sookie was finally regaining feeling in her legs and began shaking at the bars of her cage, "Help?"

Jason was still kneeling on the ground, but he seemed completely captivated by his wings. He nuzzled at the feathers like a feline with a new catnip toy, tugging at one with his teeth until Adairia snapped, "Jason Corbet Stackhouse, don't be pulling out your feathers!"

The young man's jaw slackened, "Ack, Gran, put some clothes on, would ya? Ya may not be old no more, but it's still gross!"

Godric quickly relieved himself of his shirt and pulled it over Adairia's head. Her translucent wings seemed to shimmer around the cloth, allowing it to pass over her body, but once it rested in place, the base of her wings burned holes through the fabric until they moved without obstruction.

"Dear, can you let my granddaughter out of that cage?" Adairia asked sweetly as she ran her fingertips up the vampire's arm. Godric's eyes lit up like a thousand fireworks exploding in the sky at being spoken to by his Bonded. The sensation of her emotions swirling inside of him for the first time in two millennia could have brought the ancient creature to his knees with rapture.

"Of course, my Adairia." He gave her lips a swift kiss before going to the door of Sookie's jail. He ripped the barrier open effortlessly and carefully broke the cuff around her wrist as he assisted the damaged limb to dangle at her side. Godric helped the woman to the door, and the telepath was nearly free when she was jerked back by her wings catching against the bars. "Stackhouse, help your sister loosen her wings."

Jason looked surprised to be addressed, but he finally rose from the floor and went over to his sibling. Godric effortlessly broke the chain between his shackles, and with some maneuvering they had Sookie free.

"Wow, your wings are real warm," Jason commented. "Are mine hot, too?" He tilted his back to Sookie and she touched the base of the impressive feathers.

"Yeah, they are real hot," she agreed.

"Only another angel can touch your wings without injury," Adairia explained. "They will burn anyone else who touches them."

"How come mine didn't go through the bars like yours went through your shirt?" Sookie asked.

"I will explain more once we are out of here," Adairia promised. "It can wait, though, because your Bonded is going to be here shortly, and we can't let him onto the grounds. He will kill anyone in his way."

"What about them?" Sookie pointed at Gabe and Newlan who were still crumpled on the ground in shock.

"They witnessed the rebirth of an angel, and the awakening of two grandchildren of an angel. They will likely go mad," Adairia explained regretfully before leading the group out of the basement.

"I thought they were pretty mad to start," Sookie huffed, cradling her damaged arm, wondering at the pain that was quickly ebbing into something much more manageable.

"Yes, I suppose they were," Adairia murmured. "Now," she began once they were in the hallway, "spread your wings out as far as you can."

"How do I even _do_ that?" Sookie shimmied her uninjured shoulder.

"Just stretch your body like when you first rise in the morning," Adairia suggested. "They will spread on their own." Jason and Sookie did as instructed, expanding their impressive wings wide. Sookie having a harder time of it with only a single arm at her disposal. Strangely enough, she felt much less pain from the broken appendage than she had earlier. "Good job. Now, you, Dear. You stay right next to me," she said, taking Godric's hand in her own. "When an angel's wings are at full mast, they cast an Ethereal Perspective. Only the supernatural can see them, just like our wings."

"Can they hear us?" Jason asked.

"We are the whispers of innovation, rumbles of valor, and murmurs of the heart. We can inspire these things in humans when we cast the Ethereal Perspective," Adairia elaborated. "It is amazing how your abilities shined through, even when you were merely human. My dear Sookie, an angel who governs over the heart, and my brave Jason who steadies the spirit. Love and Courage," she chuckled. "And those wings! I've never seen anything more beautiful than my grandchildren's awakenings!"

"Can I actually fly with my wings?" Sookie tittered excitedly.

"Oh, Darlin', no. You are only a quarter angel. You won't be able to fly."

Sookie wanted to pout at that as they walked through the front doors of the complex, and onto the grounds. "But only supernaturals can see our wings even though my wings can touch things like the sides of the cage?"

"That is correct," Adairia nodded. "You will be able to retract your wings entirely, but you can't use any angelic powers when they are not in full wingspan."

"How do you know all this? How do you know what Eric's feeling, or what he'll do when he gets here?" Sookie asked.

"Angels have a certain degree of omniscience," Adairia explained simply. "Again, because you are both only a quarter angel, that is not one of the abilities you will be granted."

They were already off of the grounds of the Fellowship of the Sun church, and Sookie could feel Eric speeding towards her at such a rate that she wondered if he had forgone a car and flown. Her question was answered when Eric landed square in front of her. His eyes were intense as they bore into her own.

"I swear I didn't-"

Her explanations were silenced as Eric's arms wrapped around her body and his sobbing chest sent sharp pangs through her heart. His mouth was desperately seeking hers, even as shuddering cries stammered passed his lips.

Sookie had never seen nor felt such emotion. Her eyes were welling with tears, and she felt her own wails building as her mouth linked with his in the same desperate manner.

A slender arm returned his embrace, and her wings encircled the two of them in an encasement of soothing energy. Never had Eric experienced the enveloping love that he did now. His sobs abated, and he pulled away enough to see the bloody rivers, the evidence of his torment, staining Sookie's flesh and clothing.

"What _happened_?" Eric asked weakly. His thumb gently traced her bruised and bloodied face. Anguish was written all over his expression, and Sookie felt like her heart was crumbling at the sensations he was experiencing in the Bond.

"Explanations will need to wait until we are back at the hotel," Adairia told him patiently. "We are too exposed here."

"Who are you?" Eric asked of the woman.

Adairia smiled bemusedly, "You knew me as Adele Stackhouse, but Godric knows me as his Bonded Mate, Adairia."

Eric looked between his Maker and the woman whose death had crippled their bloodline for Eric's entire existence.

"I regret that I do not have a vehicle for us to use. I was in a hurry," Eric apologized, still stunned by Adairia's apparent reincarnation.

"That is fine. If you will carry my grandchildren, I can fly Godric back to the hotel Camilla. That is where you were staying is it not?" Adairia asked.

"It is." Eric turned to the Stackhouse siblings and seemed to notice for the first time, "You have _wings_..."

"Yes, be sure not to touch Jason's. Sookie's will not burn you because of your Bond, but Jason's will," Adairia warned him.

"Why won't my wings burn Eric?" Sookie was surprised.

"You are Bonded. Your body belongs to him, as his belongs to you. Your wings sense Eric as an extension of yourself," Adairia explained as she wrapped her arms around Godric. She murmured in his ear, "You flew me around enough when I was still fairy. This time, it's my turn to hold you."

Eric smiled as he felt his Maker's all consuming happiness in their Link. It was a miracle to feel such a thing from Godric, and the Viking welcomed the new experience.

Now, the vampire had to ignore that contentment and instead contemplate the best way to fly with Jason. Quickly, he decided to haul him by his wrist. Sookie snuggled herself into his side, and his free arm wrapped tightly about her waist. In a matter of minutes they were flying through the air, and arriving back at the Hotel Camilla.

The five supernaturals touched down a block from the hotel in a nearby alley.

"All right, children, reduce your wingspan," Adairia instructed. "Clench the muscles of your body like you are buckling down for a fight, and your wings will fold." The siblings tightened their muscles and their wings creased securely against their backs. "You two learn so quickly," Adairia crooned her pride at them. "We should wait here a moment. Sookie's body is taking longer to heal. She sustained more damage than Jason or I."

"I'm healing?" Sookie asked, rotating her painful shoulder but finding it much more manageable. "Because of Eric's blood?"

"No." Adairia shook her head. "Angels are immortals, Darlin'. Though you are only a quarter, your body still regenerates. Only, it is taking longer. Full angels heal immediately, but apparently, it takes longer for our descendents." She looked at Eric contemplatively before stating, "Give her some blood. That should heal her faster."

Nodding, Eric opened a wound on his arm, offering it to Sookie. Shyly, she took the offered injury and began nursing it. It took all of her self control not to react in her usual manner to his blood. When the wound had healed, and no more blood could be drawn from it, Sookie found herself leaning her head against Eric's sternum, taking long, steadying breaths. She urged her body to calm back down, but it was proving difficult. As her body healed, and the exhaustion melted away, Sookie felt her flesh yearning for her Bonded insistently.

"Sookie," Adairia murmured, "you were Bonded just last night?" Sookie nodded, her forehead still pressed to Eric's chest. "Oh my. Godric, they haven't completely sealed the Bond." The ancient vampire blanched at his Mate's assessment. "You poor dears! This day must be agonizing!"

"Sealed the Bond?" Sookie mumbled, turning towards her grandmother. "We pledged and everything. I can feel him. What's more to be done?"

Adairia looked at her granddaughter carefully before projecting to her mentally, _"You have not made love as a Bonded Pair yet. Your instincts have not yet adopted the proper settings. Oh Darlin', I'm so sorry that this whole mess is keeping you from experiencing what your Bond will truly be!"_

Sookie pondered what her Gran could possibly mean. She had never felt closer to Eric! How could she ever feel more in love and more aware of him than she was right now?

Gazing up at her Bonded as he lead the way to the hotel, Sookie considered how she could possibly love him more than she did. His arm glued to her waist, his stride shortening to keep to her smaller pace, his emotions swirling about inside of her with relieved contentment. How could there possibly be anything greater than this?

Once they entered the hotel lobby, there was a gawking silence that presented at their arrival. Every vampire, Were, and a particularly captivated bellhop watched them as they strolled towards the elevator.

The vampires in the lobby immediately recognized Godric of Ghal, and those familiar with the Sheriff could only assume that the impressive stature of the blond man leading them was Godric's Child: the infamous Viking. However, the sight of two renowned figures was not what drew the silence and awestruck expressions. The presence of not one, not two, but _three_ angels flanking them spurred a terrified thrill throughout every supernatural body present on the floor.

It was absolutely unheard of for angels to associate with vampires. However, the lore of Godric of Ghal and his lost Mate was a well known legend. Every vampire in the right circles knew that Godric's Bonded had been killed and ascended as an angel. This knowledge did not temper the shock, though, and all who witnessed the procession had to wonder what Godric's flock of angels could possibly mean.

As the elevator dinged its arrival to the lobby floor, the group piled in, the vampires giving Jason a wide berth.

The ascending ride was made in silence until they reached Eric and Sookie's hotel room. When the door opened, Sookie flinched at the massive destruction the room had undergone.

"I had a very frustrating hour," Eric admitted unabashedly, righting the sofa and chairs so that everyone could sit down.

Sookie went to sit, but Adairia caught her elbow to keep her from doing so. "Sit on the arm of the couch, Darlin'. Your wings will burn right through it otherwise."

"Oh, shoot. How the heck am I supposed to sleep?" Sookie grumbled.

Adairia smiled at her granddaughter, "By the time you are ready to sleep again, you will have learned to fully retract your wings." Jason sat on the free arm of the couch as Sookie was seated on the other. Eric sat on the sofa next to Sookie, resting his head in her lap, unable to go without physical contact with her after such a tormenting night. "Sookie, why don't you begin with how you ended up at the Fellowship's headquarters, and then Jason, you can do the same."

Sookie nibbled her lip before beginning, "Hugo broke into our hotel room," she was speaking more to Eric than anyone else, wanting desperately to assuage any potential doubt that she had purposefully defied his orders not to infiltrate the FotS base. "He said that he had a hack on his laptop that would raise the UV shields of the hotel, killing not only Eric, but every vampire in here. I only found out after I was in the trunk of his car that it had been a bluff. I also found out that the room we're staying in is a reserved room for guests of the Area 9 vampires. Which means that Hugo pretty much maintained the reservations, and could access the keys for the room. Since he was Isabel's human, she regularly entrusted him with preparing it for guests."

Eric kissed the back of Sookie's hand after her explanation. He had known that Sookie had not gone to the headquarters of those extremists by her own volition. The smell of another human and Sookie's scent of fear in the room had been all too telling that she had not gone willingly.

"And you, Jason?" Adairia asked of her grandson.

Jason flushed slightly before admitting, "My taste in women still sucks, apparently." Every face in the room raised its eyebrows at that remark, "The girl, Monica, that I was dating? Turned out she was a FotS member. What day is today?"

"Thursday," Sookie told him.

"Okay, so she drugged me last night. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in Dallas, and that fuckhead Gabe is kicking the shit outta me," Jason finished his short story, and Sookie gave him a sad grimace. "Sooks, you're an angel of love, or the heart or whatever, right? Can you help your big brother out? Find him a nice girl who's not bat shit crazy?"

"Oh, Jason, I don't know that there's any girl out there like that who's stupid enough to date you," she teased. "Now... Adairia... Do I call you Adairia, or can I still call you Gran?" she asked tentatively.

"Well, you both are still my grandchildren, so I would greatly appreciate it if you would continue calling me Gran," the young woman beamed.

"You look younger than me, Gran!" Sookie laughed at the request.

"Yes, I know. This is the age I was when I died and became an angel." Adairia let out a long sigh before she began, "I suppose I should explain what all has happened up until this point. First, though, I have a _lot_ more to explain to you, Jason, than anyone else in this room."

"Aw, crap," Jason flinched, "there's more than just being a quarter angel?"

"You are also, technically, an eighth fairy. Though I was a fairy before becoming an angel, I lost the ability to pass on that ancestry when I ascended to angel status. Which means that you are a little over a third supernatural now that your angel part has awakened. The reason you never showed any angel gifts like Sookie is because you did not have the same Fairy spark that she did from the very beginning. Sookie's telepathy is actually an angel quality, not a fairy one," Adairia explained. "The telepathy is a gift she inherited from me, even though she awakened to be an angel of love."

"And you said I was an angel of courage?" Jason checked.

"That's right. It will be some time before you can freely access your gifts, most of them will just seem like things you have always been: fearless and brash. Since you are only a quarter angel, you will never be able to fly or have gifts of precognition. The greatest abilities you two have are your powers of blessings, your considerable longevity, and your cusp of immortality."

"Cusp of immortality?" Eric asked in bafflement.

"They are immortals for the time being," Adairia began to explain. "So long as their wings are intact, which is very reliant on how they distribute their blessings. Each of your primary feathers has the power to fulfill one, perfect wish. You cannot use these wishes on yourself or another angel, though. If your wings are cut off, which is a constant possibility since many will covet the wishes of your wings, then you will be mortal again. If you give away all of your primary feathers, your wings will crumble away and you will become mortal again."

"Did we awaken because you did?" Sookie asked.

"Yes," Adairia nodded. "When Godric's voice was heard by Adele's ears, it broke the Cap on my memories and magic. Once the Cap was broken, and my magic released, you two were also effected because the essence I passed onto you could finally be awakened with mine. You see, a Cap has to prevent as many possibilities of rupturing as possible. If my children or grandchildren were angels, it would risk my reawakening, and those were not the conditions of my rebirth."

"What were the conditions?" Sookie asked breathlessly.

"To find my Bonded Mate again." She smiled to herself at the gamble she had taken. "You see, there are three ways to become an angel. You are created as one, you become one through trial, or you are granted the status by the Pantheon upon death as I was. In the case of the first two possibilities, there are options to becoming mortal again. You can cut off your wings and live on earth. However, for an angel who became so upon their death, it is a bit more complicated. The body I had as a mortal cannot be sustained because it was mortally wounded. The only option for becoming mortal is to Cap the memories of the angel, and have them reborn on earth. It is very risky."

"Why is it a gamble?" Sookie asked.

"Because if the mortal body had died without the cap being broken, I would not have been able to ascend as an angel unless I had lived an extremely exceptional existence in the service of mankind. Adele, though a good person, did not qualify to ascend to an angel status. I would have never gotten the chance to be with Godric again if I had failed."

"Wow," Jason gawked at his young grandmother. "What made you even _want_ to risk that!?"

"After two thousand years of serving loyally as an Angel, the Pantheon agreed to allow me the opportunity to return to earth and be with Godric again. Of course there were circumstances, one of which being that Fate could be the only decider of my success or failure. I could not have my memories of Godric, nor my powers. Only his voice was meant to break the Cap. Somehow, I still had his image in my head, but I did not know his name until I saw him again. My imagining of his voice was too artificial to break the cap, but he spoke the words I needed to know for him to recognize me. This might have happened because we were Bonded, or it might have happened because of all of the magic and memories that needed to be Capped. I cannot explain why Adele was able to have a vague knowledge of Godric. Still, despite the advantage, I needed to hope Fate took pity and aligned an encounter with my Bonded." Adairia smiled whimsically as she continued, "Who would have thought Fate would also find my granddaughter's true love on the journey of reuniting me with mine?"

Sookie smiled gently before a sudden giggle tumbled from her lips, "If Pam were straight, I'd suggest we see if it's a Stackhouse/Ghal thing," she muffled her chittering into her hand. Eric and Godric got a good chuckle out of the suggestion.

"Perhaps you can help your brother with his horrible taste in women, Darlin'." Adairia patted her granddaughter's cheek.

Sookie shook her head at the horrible conflict that gesture and endearment caused her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "but I don't know how to think of you as Gran... Your voice is all wrong, and your hands are so... Not Gran's hands."

"I thought her accent remained rather intact," Godric frowned appraisingly. "Although, I did only catch a few words before your rebirth."

"No, it's not the accent, it's the actual _sound_ of your voice. There's no rasp or occasional pitching. It's... It's just not Gran's voice," Sookie whispered.

Adairia smiled sympathetically, "Sweet Child," that endearment made Sookie's heart clench, "I still remember every moment of your life, and cherish them deep in my heart. You'll be around a long time, Darlin', so long as you take care of those wings of yours. You'll relearn my voice as your Gran in time." The angel started suddenly, "OH! I need to call the farmhouse-" She stopped just as quickly as she had started, "Oh, shoot... She won't know this voice... Jason, call the farmhouse and let Tara know I'm okay."

"Tara?" Sookie frowned at the mention of her friend.

"The Fellowship knocked her silly when they came for me. I don't think those boys knew what they were getting into when they took Tara head on, though. She about killed one of them when they broke into the house... Which reminds me, Godric, Dear, can you call me up a contractor and see what they can do about the buck shot in my walls?" Adairia asked sweetly.

Jason went to the hotel phone, shaking his head amusedly at the thought of Tara firing a shotgun inside Gran's house. After the second ring, a gruff, angry voice snapped, _"Who is it?"_

"Tara, it's me, Jason. You okay? I'm with Gran, and she said you took a lickin'," Jason explained.

"_You're with Adele? Is she okay? Motherfucking cocksuckers broke into the house. I gave 'em hell, but this pussy ass bitch snuck in through the kitchen and tackled me down like a little-"_

"Are you okay, though?" Jason interrupted, his eyes widening at Tara's language. She must have been extremely pissed off. Though she regularly spoke like a sailor, it was not common for the bartender to string together such extensive curses, "Gran told us everything that happened, but we needed to know that you was fine."

"_Yeah, I'm cool. My skull's about as thick as yours, Jason."_

"I'm glad you're okay. Gran's fine, too. I might be coming back to Bon Temps a while, so I'll see you soon," Jason hung up the phone before Tara began asking too many questions. "We gonna be able to tuck our wings in before going to Bon Temps?" he asked of Adairia.

"You'll be able to do it very soon," the angel nodded. "And it would be advisable for you to keep them hidden as often as possible. Those wings are practically a target for Supernaturals to aim for."

There was a long pause among the group before Sookie began slowly, quietly, "Gran?"

"Yes, Darlin'?" Adairia smiled at the young woman.

"Can... Can angels become vampires?" she finally asked. Eric looked at his Bonded in surprise, having thought that she would prefer to stay living, rather than come over now that she was practically as immortal as him.

Adairia tilted her head, a small smile creeping over her mouth, "If we cut off our wings, then yes." She looked at Godric then and said, "Which is what I intend to do."

Godric looked at his own Bonded with the same amount of shock that Eric had gazed at Sookie, "Adairia-"

"I've had two thousand years to think about it, Dear one. Aside from the fact that my being a full blooded angel again prevents me from remaining on this plane of existence for long, there is also the complication that this physical form is _borrowed_. The body of Adele Stackhouse was a vessel for me. What you are physically touching right now cannot remain here long. By daylight it will disintegrate. Unless I cut off my wings, I will ascend once again." She caressed his cheek lovingly. "After our tragedy all those centuries ago, I just want to be left in peace with you. I want to be unspectacular, and blissful."

"Adairia!" Godric cupped his Bonded's face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his in a passionate kiss that made her grandchildren avert their eyes.

"Sookie," Adairia began, pulling from Godric's lips, "I have a request of you."

"Huh?" Sookie pointed to herself in bafflement. "Anything, Gran!"

"I would like your help removing my wings, and I would ask that you guard the spot that Godric and I will be buried." She turned her beautiful eyes on Sookie, hope and radiance glowing about her entire body, "I wish for you to place my wings over the spot we are buried, and pray those three days for our love. I know that angels cannot influence the supernatural all that much, but prayers of a baby angel of love would be very welcome to a couple that have suffered for so long."

Sookie smiled at her grandmother's request, "I'll do it. Night and day. I won't even sleep!"

Adairia laughed at her granddaughter's enthusiasm, "Thank you, Darlin'."

"And when you rise again, I'd really like some more explanations."

"You got it." Adairia winked at her. "Eric, keep her safe at night."

"Of course." The vampire nodded at the angel's request.

"Now, Dear One. Why don't we find a nice spot to do this?"

Godric smiled up at his Bonded and rose from his seat. Wrapping his arms around the woman, he murmured, "Perhaps you should teach your grandchildren how to retract their wings before we all pile into a car?"

Adairia laughed before nodding in agreement "It's still a bit soon to have you retract your wings. It will probably hurt a bit," she warned them.

"Hopefully not as much as when they first came out," Jason muttered.

"Deep breath, Children." Adairia held out her hands and they watched as her shoulders rolled forward. A shiver like trickling water ran through her body, "Envision your wings being encased in a globe of light. When the image in your mind has completely eclipsed the image of your wings, visualize that light absorbing into your body." As she was saying this, her wings glowed prominently before the orb syphoned between her shoulder blades and vanished.

Sookie let out a low whistle before attempting the task. "Ah, it burns a little," she hissed as her wings began to glow. After nearly five minutes, the light finally receded into her back and she grabbed the base of her skull, "Ugh, it really leaves a tension headache."

Jason grimaced at her description, but dutifully tried as well. It did not take him as long, since he was prepared for the discomfort that had kept his sister too distracted to complete the procedure at first.

Their wings hidden, Sookie and Adairia changed into less tattered clothing before the three angels and two vampires trouped back out of the hotel room. They went to the lobby, earning very suspicious looks from the creatures of the night who had remained on the floor since their first appearance. Sookie could detect disbelief, and perhaps even some form of acceptance on a few of those faces. She wondered if they might have believed their eyes had played tricks on them the first time, and were now thinking that the presence of angels in a vampire hotel had been but a dream.

"Gran," Sookie murmured as they were alone on the street and Godric tried to hail a taxi van, "if our wings burn others, and our wishes can't help Supes, why are we such a target?"

Adairia frowned sadly at that question, "Even the presence of an angel gives others significant benefits. You could say that we are good luck charms. Quite coveted. Also, if one can endure the initial burn of our wings, mind you it is quite excruciating, they can take charge of our ability to grant blessings. Of course the _type_ of angel varies the sort of wishes they can grant. Thankfully, your blessings are the least coveted by the supernatural world. Most Supes wish for protection, power or knowledge. Not love. Unfortunately, since you and Jason are only part angel, I do not know the restrictions that your blessings fall under. The two of you might have less restrictions since you did not make the choice to become angels."

"Why don't you know? I thought you said angels are omniscient." Sookie frowned.

Shaking her head, Adairia explained, "We have all knowledge of past and present. You and Jason are unique. It has not happened where an angel has had children. Guardian angels, yes, but full angels cannot reproduce. There have never been _part angels_. That's why I'm so concerned for you and Jason. Being part angels might mean that your blessings and wishes for protection could extend to supernaturals as well, putting you at extreme risk for being attacked."

Sookie frowned as a large enough cab to move them all pulled against the curb, "What kind of protection?"

"Shh, Darlin'. I'll tell you more when we get to the spot Godric has picked."

The journey was made in silence other than an address that Godric murmured to the driver. That is, until Eric's phone began ringing.

"It is Isabel," Eric frowned.

"Oh no! She must realize Hugo's-" Adairia clamped her hand over Sookie's mouth before she could utter the word "dead" in front of the cabbie who glanced in his mirror at them.

"Do not answer it," Godric said in a hushed voice. "It is better if I am the one who tells her, and it will need to wait until after Adairia and I have ourselves situated."

"You will make her stew for three days?" Eric was surprised.

Godric had a torn look on his face. He looked at Adairia and shook his head, "Isabel can survive, my Bonded cannot."

Eric let a small smile grace his lips, "Yes, you are right. This cannot wait."

The cab came to a modest, but beautiful home that sat reasonably spaced from its neighbors. The driver of the vehicle seemed all too happy to be rid of the odd group he had transported, but he was elated when Godric handed over the payment with a rather large tip.

"This is your place?" Sookie asked, looking over the house, "You should teach your Child about decorating."

Godric smiled at the woman's comment, his arm going about Adairia's waist as they walked up the stone pathway to the front door. "Eric has never been one for decadence. Other than those cars of his. Honestly, Child, you can fly. What is your obsession with cars?"

Eric shrugged, "I enjoy the sedated pace sometimes."

"Sedated?" Sookie scoffed. "You drive twenty over the speed limit everywhere you go!"

The group got a good chuckle at that before entering the house. Sookie had to admit, Eric definitely did not get his interior decorating abilities from his Maker. The house was infused with a tranquil, inviting sensation. Rich woods, deep creams, and modest guilds of warm, rose gold adorned many surfaces. It was a very welcoming atmosphere without seeming over the top.

"This is lovely, Godric," Sookie praised as she took in the accommodations.

"Thank you, Sookie." Godric smiled at her.

The group wandered about the house, Godric showing them all of the different features so that Sookie and Jason would be comfortable for the next three days. Finally, the vampire went and retrieved a knife to allow his Bonded to remove her wings.

"This is just a little weird, you know?" Jason mumbled to Eric as they all made their way outside. Sookie's hand was shaking as she held the knife Godric had handed her.

"That you are an angel?" Eric raised his eyebrows with amusement and curiosity.

"... Well, yeah, but I just meant _why_ I'm an angel! A fairy angel!" he laughed a bit. "Sooks, I could see it, y'know? She's got a temper on her, but that's my fault."

"Oh?"

"I was always lettin' her down, y'know? That, and all the stuff she hears, well, it made her even more weary. That's how I know she's right to be an angel of love. 'Cause, no matter what me or anyone else put her through, or what she heard in all our heads: she still loved us. No matter how scared she was, or how hesitant at first, she'd always let love in."

Eric smiled warmly at the brother's words. "Yes, I suppose she does. Although, I may have given her a run for her money. She took quite a while to trust me."

Jason snorted, "Nah, she's always trusted you. Probably scared the hell outta her to trust you so easy, but she always has. If she gave ya any trouble at first, it wasn't 'cause of you. She was terrified of how easy it was for her to believe in you, and if I know my sister, and I know I do- she was making a big show of doubting you. And you can trust me, 'cause I'm one of them who had to listen on and on about her guardian angel."

Eric just smiled to himself and continued watching his Bonded as she nervously pulled Adairia's wing into a full extension. The female angels were both taking long, deep breaths as the knife came to the base of Adairia's wing.

"Just do it, Child," Adairia finally laughed, trying to sound less nervous than she was. As though she were not about to give up two thousand years of service to mankind.

Putting as much weight as she could behind the stroke of the knife, Sookie felt the blade slice through the base of Adairia's wing easily. While she still had the momentum and courage, Sookie quickly chopped off its twin, and stooped down to hug the wings to her chest as Adairia trembled.

Godric had his Bonded wrapped up in his arms immediately, and he held her close as she shook against him. "Shh, My Bonded," Godric murmured in her ear. "It will not hurt soon." His hand travelled her face as he whispered, "Your skin is so warm!"

"I'm becoming fairy again," Adairia explained.

Sookie scampered back to Eric, still clutching her grandmother's wings. Her spine tingled when a wing flexed in her arms, and made her skin crawl.

"Wh-what should I do with these?" Sookie whispered to Eric with uncertainty.

"Adairia said that she wished for you to lay them over their grave," Eric reminded her, his jaw tightening as the smell of fairy blood hit him like a steam roller. The last time he had been in the presence had been Niall's death.

"Oh, right... Where are they going? Isn't Godric going to change her?" Sookie asked as Godric and Adairia headed back into the house.

"Two thousand years, Sooks." Jason looked at his sister as though he thought she were a bit dim. "What's the first thing you'd wanna do if you hadn't seen Eric in two thousand years?"

"They're-" Sookie stopped herself from going there in her head. Though part of her had trouble seeing Adairia as her grandmother, she still _knew_, and some adolescent part in her brain cringed. After the initial, juvenile response, a soft smile dawned across the young woman's face. Her Gran was finally happy. Truly happy. And, in the process, so was Godric. Though the telepath's only connection to the ancient vampire was Eric, it made her heart swell with happiness to know that Godric's suicidal nature would finally be cast out of him.

"They have until an hour before dawn," Eric replied amusedly, though a tinge of jealousy was welling up inside of him. He longed desperately to make love to his own Bonded, but now was not the time, even as his body gravitated towards hers of its own accord.

Sookie pondered the time for a moment before her mind began to wander. She thought about how life would change with her Gran transforming into a beautiful, angel/fairy vampire. She thought about how Jason would change now that he was an angel. She thought about how _she_ would change now that she knew all that she was, and soon, all that she would become.

There was a bit of relief at knowing her Gran was about to go through something Sookie would also experience in the near future. Perhaps seeing Adairia become a vampire, and how the newfound vampirism effected her, would assuage some of the building fear inside the telepath. Fear of losing or magnifying her telepathy. Fear of being so consumed with bloodlust that she forgot who she really was. Fear that once she was a vampire, some of the passion or allure would fade from hers and Eric's love life. She considered how she would feel when Eric began feeding from mortals, unable to sustain himself on her blood any longer.

"Sookie?" Eric's voice told her that he could feel her worries.

"I'm just thinking about the future," she told him softly. "It's scary."

"I will be beside you. There is nothing to fear."

"Not the stuff that can come at me. The stuff that can come _from_ me."

Eric's eyebrows rose at that statement, "How do you mean?"

"What if I change? I like who I am. Well, I mean, there's definitely stuff I want to improve about myself, but I don't want to become jaded or mean like I've seen a lot of the vampires at Fangtasia are." She tried her best to explain, but the truth was, "I'm scared I'll stop caring about people. I'm scared of watching my friends get old and die while I remain the same."

With a sigh, Eric rubbed his head briskly as he thought about the best way to console her fears. Pam had welcomed her turning. So had he. While he contemplated the best way to help his lover overcome this hurdle, it was Jason who spoke.

"That's life anyway, Sooks," Jason murmured. "People change. They become jaded. Gran watched her husband die, survived the deaths of both her kids, and countless friends. But she's still sweet Gran. You just have to _want_ to be kind. You have to remind yourself on the tough days to be good. You at least got a head start on me. You _are_ a good person. I've been tryin' so hard these past few months to become a good person. Sometimes I feel like I've really changed, and other times I look in the mirror and still see the womanizing, selfish asshole that I was. When I see that in my reflection, I just remind myself what I want to be. So, when you think you're getting jaded, or you think you aren't being as kind as you know you want yourself to be, just picture all the ugly inside of you. Be disgusted with yourself and your actions. Tell yourself that it's unacceptable. Then go back to being the good, sweet Sooks we all know and love."

Sookie smiled mildly at her brother's speech, "Wow, all that college learnin' has really had an effect on you."

Jason gave her a chagrinned expression before saying, "A little. Honestly though? It just made me see things around me. I got to see me from the eyes of people who didn't know me from Adam. I got to see me as someone people wanted to be friends with, and not just stickin' with me 'cause of who I was in high school. I think I might be ready to come back to Bon Temps soon. Probably at the end of the semester. Transfer my credits and start going to school in Shreveport. You think you guys can wait a bit? Sooks, you think you can wait to become a vamp until I'm back in Bon Temps?"

Shocked, Sookie asked, "Why?"

"Because I want to be there for you. I know things aren't gonna be the same for you when you become a vamp, and even though you'll be all vamp strong and stuff- I want you to know that you still got me. I want you to be able to have a warm body that will still hug ya and say you're still good, sweet Sooks."

Sookie brushed away a tear building in her eye while another fell from the other. "Jason," she said huskily, emotion brewing deep within her, "you're the best brother a girl could have."

"I'm trying to be."

**TBC**

**A/N: Please, remember to review, everyone!**

**-Andi**


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